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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Watchdog pulls out of Russian elections |
| 2007-11-18 |
| A LEADING international election watchdog said yesterday it will not monitor next month's Russian parliamentary poll because Moscow refused to issue visas to its observers on time. The stand-off threatens to deepen western doubts about the legitimacy of the vote on 2 December and harden Moscow's insistence that the West has no right to criticise how they are carried out. Russia had already come under criticism for initially saying it would allow only 70 observers - far fewer than in previous Russian elections. The Warsaw-based office of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, which organises observer missions in its 56 members states, said attempts to get entry visas for its experts and observers had failed. "We have not received a single visa for the 70 observers," OSCE spokeswoman Urdur Gunnarsdottir said. "We have tried everything." Russia's foreign ministry blamed the OSCE for the delay. "If anything interfered with the observers coming to Russia, it was the muddle in the office and the scornful sort of actions by its leadership in not paying attention to generally accepted procedures," it said. |
| Posted by:Seafarious |
| #1 So does this action affects Jimmah's travel plans? |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2007-11-18 15:08 |