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Key Watchdog Won't Monitor Russia Vote

Group cites Kremlin's excessive restrictions on March 2 election

By Caroline Zimmerman,  Newser User

Posted Feb 7, 2008 4:27 PM CST
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(Newser) – Europe's main election watchdog will boycott Russia's March 2 presidential vote due to excessive Kremlin restrictions, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights announced today. The group had agreed to send just 70 monitors to oversee the campaign, the New York Times reports, but when Russia barred them from arriving earlier than two weeks before the election, negotiations broke down.

The ODIHR typically sends delegates to monitor the full campaign period; in 2004, it sent 400 to Russia on election day proper. But relations between Russia and the West have steadily deteriorated since, and Dmitri Medvedev—Vladimir Putin's chosen successor—has practically secured the presidency already. "They are trying to change the rules of the game here," said one monitor.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov makes a statement after the Cabinet meeting in Moscow on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008. Russia's foreign minister said Thursday that Moscow can't accept demands from the election monitoring arm of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe relating to next month's presidential election. Lavrov...
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov makes a statement after the Cabinet meeting in Moscow on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008. Russia's foreign minister said Thursday that Moscow can't accept demands from the...   (Associated Press)
First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, President Vladimir Putin's preferred successor in March 2008 presidential election, smiles as he leaves the Congress of the Association of Lawyers of Russia in Moscow on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2008.(AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel)
First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, President Vladimir Putin's preferred successor in March 2008 presidential election, smiles as he leaves the Congress of the Association of Lawyers of Russia...   (Associated Press)
A man walks past a billboard showing Serbian presidential candidate Tomislav Nikolic of the ultra-nationalist SRS-Serbian Radical Party, in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2008. Serbia's pro-Russian presidential candidate visited Moscow on Wednesday, reaching out for the Kremlin's support days after a trip by his incumbent rival. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
A man walks past a billboard showing Serbian presidential candidate Tomislav Nikolic of the ultra-nationalist SRS-Serbian Radical Party, in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2008. Serbia's pro-Russian...   (Associated Press)
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks in Moscow's Kremlin on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2008, as he heads the Security Council meeting. President Vladimir Putin and his likely successor call for sweeping environmental improvements, saying cleaning up Soviet-era pollution and reducing industrial waste are crucial for Russia's economy and public health. (AP...
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks in Moscow's Kremlin on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2008, as he heads the Security Council meeting. President Vladimir Putin and his likely successor call for sweeping environmental...   (Associated Press)
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Russia • Vladimir Putin • Kremlin • election monitors • Dmitry Medvedev • election

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