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. […]
Unlevel playing field in regional and local elections
Image source: news.sky.com The regional and local elections scheduled on 13 September 2020 are to be the first major electoral campaign in Russia to take place following the passing of the Constitutional amendments and the introduction of the epidemiological restrictions. A total of 9071 campaigns are taking place incl. State Duma by-elections in four […]
Election Alert #5 – Unlevel playing field in regional and local elections
The regional and local elections scheduled on 13 September 2020 are to be the first major electoral campaign in Russia to take place following the passing of the Constitutional amendments and the introduction of the epidemiological restrictions. A total of 9071 campaigns are taking place incl. State Duma by-elections in four districts, elections of 18 […]
Pre-election campaign Russia Single Voting Day 2020
During the election campaign period, a level playing field for candidates has not been secured. Candidates who were supported by the authorities could also count on support from local authorities, courts, and electoral authorities and often did not have to face the restrictions associated with the Covid 19 pandemic when conducting their campaigns. State controlled […]
Legal aspects of the 13th September Russian Single Voting Day 2020
Analyzing the legal framework of the elections, domestic election experts conclude that the current legal conditions are the worst in the last 25 years. Recent changes to the electoral law on the federal level as well as short-term amendments to the regional election campaign regulations have been introduced to further restrict the electoral rights of […]
Summary of the nomination and registration of candidates for the 13th September 2020 elections
The analysis of the process of candidates’ registration in self-government elections shows an unproportionally high dropout rate of opposition candidates. In the main elections to regional parliaments and councils, parties supported by the authorities could nominate 98 % of their candidates, self-nominated candidates could register in over 60 % of cases, and parties without „administrative […]
Briefly about the course of the candidate registration SVD 2020
The main features of the 18 gubernatorial races held on the Single Voting Day were the restricted access for opposition candidates to the elections and the replacement of promising candidates by “technical” sparring-partners nominated by new “technical” parties which have been created with strong support of the authorities. Even candidates of parliamentary parties were massively […]
European politicians to legitimize constitutional changes in Russia
Member of the Berlin Parliament Gunnar Lindemann (left) and Member of the German Bundestag Stefan Keuter (right) both from AfD Germany at the all-Russian voting. Source: Facebook account of Gunnar Lindemann, 25.06.2020 Kremlin-friendly foreign politicians, journalists, lobbyists, and activists have once again been invited to praise the disputed “all-Russian voting” on the constitutional amendments […]
Far-right European politicians to whitewash constitutional vote in Russia
Stefan Keuter, German MP from the far-right AfD speaking to the Russian state-controlled media: “My personal view is that the level of organisation in Russia is higher even than in Germany” Far-right European politicians have once again been invited as politically biased election observers to praise the disputed “all-Russian voting” on the constitutional amendments […]
Election Alert #4 – How corona thwarts Putin’s plan to change the constitution
The pandemic has interrupted Putin’s fast-track constitutional amendment project that would have allowed him to stay in power beyond 2024. An understanding that his popular support may be waning was likely behind the haste. What started as a fail-proof political project is now an uncertain race against a natural calamity. Whenever the vote will take […]