Update: Observation Group to Boycott Russian Presidential Election
By Joseph Catapano
February 8, 2008

The New York Times reports on February 8 that observers from Europe’s principal election observation organization, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (O.D.I.H.R), will boycott any participation in the March 2, 2008 Presidential elections in the Russian Federation.  Having previously boycotted Parliamentary elections in the country in December, O.D.I.H.R determined that Russia’s offer of allowing observers to begin their work on February 20 was insufficient for completing a diminished mission, let alone a complete one.  The Parliamentary Assembly, another arm of the OSCE, will boycott the election as well.

Russia has previously tried to place restrictions on O.D.I.H.R’s parent organization, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The Federation reduced the number of monitors invited to oversee the election process from as many as 400 in 2004, when President Vladimir Putin’s re-election was all but assured, to 70 in 2008; Putin, whose second term ends with this election, is constitutionally prohibited from seeking a third term.

The United States State Department has expressed support for the actions of O.D.I.H.R and others who intend to boycott the election. David Kramer, Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, told the New York Times, “We support O.D.I.H.R’s decision… Countries should be accustomed to the fact that respected international organizations come in and observe and monitor their elections. Russia should not be exempt from that; it is part of developing into a normal democratic society.”

References:

New York Times: European Group Cancels Mission to Observe Russian Election, Citing Restrictions

www.ccd21.org