Start of elections of Members of the State Douma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation

Since early morning IPA CIS international observers have been visiting polling stations in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other Russian regions, as well as stations beyond Russia – in Baku. Yerevan, Minsk, Bishkek, Chisinau, and Dushanbe.

At one of the stations, the observers met with their colleagues from OSCE. They discussed work plans and shared first impressions on the operation of polling stations.

Secretary General of the IPA CIS Council, member of the Observer Team Alexey Sergeev spoke on the IPA CIS experience in monitoring elections. He said that IPA CIS had 20-year track record of monitoring elections and referendums in various countries. In 2006, it established the Institute for Monitoring Democratic Development and Protection of Suffrage Rights of Citizens of IPA CIS Member Nations, a dedicated division for election monitoring at the IPA CIS. The key purpose of the Institute is to analyze electoral legislation and develop recommendations based on observation of elections and referendums.

The IPA CIS observers noted the high level of organization of the elections in St. Petersburg and the compliance of the election process with legal norms and democratic values.