Elena Teslova
19 March 2018•Update: 20 March 2018
By Elena Teslova
MOSCOW
Russian presidential election was “well organized” but characterized by fundamental freedoms limitations and lack of competitiveness, said the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in its preliminary report on Monday.
Speaking at a news conference in Moscow, Michael Georg Link, head of a team of observers from the OSCE, said the election took place in overly controlled legal and political environment marked by continuing pressure on critical voices.
However, the Central Election Commission of Russia administered the election “efficiently and openly,” Link said, adding intense efforts to promote turnout resulted in high level of participation in the election.
At the same time, restrictions on the fundamental freedoms of assembly, association and expression as well as strict registration rules have limited the space of political engagement and assaulted a lack of genuine competition, he said.
Among positive things, Michael Georg Link mentioned, was adaptation of some OSCE recommendations given before the election.
International Election Monitoring Mission in Russia is represented by 554 observers from 44 countries, including 481 long-term and short-term observers deployed by OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and OSCE Parliament Assembly.
