Shrinking space for citizen election observation ahead of State Duma elections
Opportunities for independent citizen election observation and civil society space in general have been shrinking steadily in Russia over the past decade. In 2020, changes were introduced to laws and regulations bringing further restrictions of rights and freedoms, which had a palpable impact on the space for citizen observation. The absence of provisions for […]
Conditions for Citizen Election Observation Ahead of the 2021 Duma Elections
Opportunities for independent citizen election observation and civil society space in general have been shrinking steadily in Russia over the past decade. There are no provisions for direct accreditation of citizen observers and legislative changes, such as the laws on foreign agents and ‘undesirable foreign organizations’, further restrict the space for citizen observation. Read more […]
Russia election alert #8 – Duma elections 2021
Voter during Russia’s Single Voting Day 2020. Source: ft.com / © AP Russia’s next State Duma elections are scheduled to be held in September. A number of recent developments offer a glimpse of how they may be conducted. The prosecution of Alexei Navalny upon his return to Russia in January as well as the […]
Russia election alert #8 – Duma elections 2021
Russia’s next State Duma elections are scheduled to be held in September. A number of recent developments offer a glimpse of how they may be conducted. Early indications are that the authorities will take unprecedented efforts to keep the non-systemic opposition out of the State Duma and to undermine independent election observation. Alert available in […]
Foreign agents’ law prohibits citizen observation of elections
EPDE STATEMENT: “Foreign agents” law and its impact on independent citizen election observation in the Russian Federation ahead of the September 2021 State Duma election. On the eve of the federal parliamentary election campaign, the Russian State Duma hastily passes a whole package of repressive laws aimed at restricting Russian citizens’ participation in political and […]
Foreign agents law expanded ahead of 2021 State Duma election
Interior of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, January 20, 2017. Source: hrw.org (Reuters) With each national election in Russia, the presidential administration develops a strategy for achieving the Kremlin’s electoral goals. One element of the strategy for the 2021 State Duma elections that became obvious early on, is to allow a large […]
Foreign agents law expanded ahead of 2021 State Duma election
Recently passed amendments to the ‘foreign agents’ law in Russia increases the number of organizations at risk of being labelled as ‘foreign agents’ and would force election candidates who received funding or other resources from an organization or person registered as a ‘foreign agent’ to also label themselves as a ‘foreign agent’. There is serious […]
International experts’ endorsed controversial all-Russian voting on constitutional amendments
French far-right MEP Julie Lechanteux giving an interview to the Russian TV, with Johan Bäckman in the background. Source: Twitter account Lechanteux The “all-Russian voting” on President Putin’s proposed constitutional amendments, which would allow him to stay in power until 2036, was held between 25 June and 1 Jul 2020. Since the “all-Russian voting” […]
Trend against established parties. Candidates under undue pressure.
Image source: dw.com Last weekend’s regional and local elections in Russia represented a final rehearsal ahead of next year’s federal parliamentary elections. This was also the last election to be managed by the acting composition of the Russian Central Election Commission (CEC) and its chairperson, Ella Pamfilova, whose term in office is to expire […]
Election Alert #6 – Trend against established parties. Candidates under undue pressure.
Last weekend’s regional and local elections in Russia represented a final rehearsal ahead of next year’s federal parliamentary elections. This was also the last election to be managed by the acting composition of the Russian Central Election Commission (CEC) and its chairperson, Ella Pamfilova, whose term in office is to expire in March next year. […]