MOSCOW, 19 March (BelTA) – The CIS observation mission believes that the presidential election held in Russia on 18 March was legitimate and free, BelTA learned from the mission head Viktor Guminsky on 19 March.
According to the source, the Russian presidential election was held in line with the country's effective election laws. “We recognize these elections as legitimate, free, open, and competitive,” said Viktor Guminsky.
According to the mission head, the Central Election Commission of Russia worked in an open and transparent manner. “We would like to note that the organizers have taken measures to enable full-value monitoring of the election,” he stressed.
Viktor Guminsky believes that violations registered in the course of the election had been minor and had not affected the voting process. “The registered separate violations were not systemic and widespread and did not influence results of the election. The violations were insignificant,” stated the head of the mission.
The CIS observers have monitored preparations for and the actual course of the Russian presidential election since 19 February. A total of 320 representatives of the CIS member states took part in the election observation process. Members of the mission monitored the voting process and vote counting in 32 regions of Russia and at polling stations outside the country. “The mission gives an evaluation on the basis of its own observation data, data acquired in the course of long-term and short-term observation. The mission's statement will be published in ten days,” added Viktor Guminsky.
Rashid Alimov, head of the observation mission sent by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, also described the Russian presidential election as transparent and democratic. “The Russian presidential election matched requirements of the election law and undertaken international commitments,” he said. “In our opinion, the election was transparent, genuine, democratic, and without a doubt represented another very important step on the way of further development of democratic processes in Russia.”
According to Russia's CEC, 1,513 foreign observers monitored the election. The OSCE ODIHR sent 481 observers, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly — 111 observers, the CIS Executive Committee — 256 observers, the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly — 40 observers. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union of Belarus and Russia sent 26 observers each while the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) sent nine observers.
Incumbent President of Russia Vladimir Putin won over 76% of the vote.
