Almost 100 Observers from IPA CIS to Monitor Elections to Russian State Duma

The IPA CIS International observers will begin short-term monitoring of the elections to the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation tomorrow.

The observation group includes MPs from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as experts from the International Institute for Monitoring the Democracy Development, Parliamentarianism and Suffrage Protection of Citizens of IPA CIS Member Nations (IPA CIS IIMDD) – almost 100 people in total. Member of the Committee of the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic on International Affairs, Defence, Security and Migration Gulya Kozhokulova has been appointed Coordinator of the group.

The group is united by a common goal to ensure objective and comprehensive observation of the electoral process.

The scale of the observation campaign is reflected in the geographical scope of the observers’ work.

Observers will work not only in Moscow, Astrakhan, Belgorod, Yekaterinburg, Petrozavodsk and St Petersburg, as well as in the Leningrad and Novgorod Regions, but also in 20 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America.

These include CIS Member States: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as Burundi, the United Kingdom, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Mali, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Romania, Seychelles, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda and Equatorial Guinea.

The group’s programme includes meetings at the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation. The observers will discuss the electoral campaign with regional authorities and territorial election commissions, courts, national observers and other stakeholders.

Such a comprehensive international observation system will make it possible to cover various aspects of the electoral process.

The Assembly’s observers are taking part in the monitoring at the invitation of the Russian Parliament.