Alexey Petrov: ‘We play an inquisitive role at polling stations’

Alexey Petrov has been ‘Golos’ coordinator in Irkutsk region for many years. ‘Golos’ has interviewed Alexey Viktorovich about him becoming an observer, the relationship with local election commissions and his students; moreover, we spoke about emerging difficulties and what he would wish if everything would be possible.

Alexey Petrov, the coordinator of ‘Golos’ in Irkutsk region, Doctor of Political Sciences, Associate Professor of Political Science, History and Regional Studies Department of Irkutsk State University. Photo: Agency ‘Altair’

About observation

I was 18 years old when I observed elections for the first time. It was December 12, 1993.

I was a first-year student at the History faculty of Irkutsk University. The Elections to the State Duma and Referendum on the Constitution were held. I do not really well remember the referendum on the Constitution. I was nominated by a candidate to the State Duma Yury Tena to a polling station located in the suburbs, the outskirts of the city. I remember pretty well I have met my Russian history teacher, who arrived to vote. She asked: ‘What are you doing here?’. I replied: ‘Here I am to observe’. ‘Well, stay and observe’, - she said. And I am still engaged in election observation.

I have been always taking an active role in elections, not only as an observer, but also as a candidate. This year it has been exactly 15 years since I have run for Mayoral Elections in the city of Irkutsk. I have run for the Elections to the Legislative Assembly and twice for the Elections to the City Duma.

Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, I have never been elected. I have been winning ‘prizes’, but I always say, the election - is not the Olympic Games. Even a silver medal does not count. Last year, I decided that in terms of candidacy I am done and that now I will be mainly engaged in election observation.

In the photo: Alexey Petrov close to the PEC No. 318 (Poland, 25 October 2015). ‘I was representing the international observation mission run by ‘European Platform for Democratic Elections’. Only international election observation is licit under the laws of Poland’, - said Alexey Viktorovich in an interview to the newspaper ‘Right to choose’ of Irkutsk regional election commission, No. 19. Photo from the archive of A. Petrov

About election observers

I tell the same story to everyone. I have a friend I met in university, he ran for elections in one of the cities of Irkutsk region. His rival in the constituency was the chief doctor of the central hospital.

Everybody was saying, it was a ‘suicide’ for 30-year-old guy in a ‘Mercedes’ car, with a tooth gem to run for elections in such a constituency. However, he is sociable and in general a nice guy, elder women are enchanted by him.

At the polling station after the vote count it appeared that the number of votes in favour of him and the chief physician - equal. Observers were urged for re-count. And finally the head physician was defeated by one vote following the re-count.

This is an example that one vote might matter and it might be yours. One vote can determine the future of both - a man and a territory.

Moreover, my friend was re-elected for a second term with a large margin of victory, as he did some good things.

Such examples, when you can see the result of election observation, are very significant.

About ‘Golos’

For the first time, under the auspices of ‘Golos’, I observed 2003 Elections to the State Duma. In 2007, I became a coordinator.

In November 2007, I immediately jumped to the ball from the ship. It was about a week left before the Elections to the State Duma.

Since then, we have observed the Elections to the State Duma in 2007 and 2011, the 2008 and 2012 Presidential Elections, Elections to the regional parliament - Legislative Assembly of Irkutsk region - in 2008 and 2013. We have observed the 2010 Mayoral Election in Irkutsk, whereas 2015 Mayoral Election was cancelled. Moreover, we have observed the Elections to Irkutsk City Duma in 2009 and 2014, as well as several municipal elections.

I remember we were leaving for 2014 Mayoral Election in Tulun. Following the voting results, the margin of victory between the candidates was 37 votes. Everybody were trying to challenge the result in court, showing some papers and referring to ‘Golos’ statement that the elections were rigged.

The judicial proceedings lasted half a year and they were all the time referring to ‘Golos’. In the end, the court upheld the election results, the margin of victory of United Russia candidate was 37 votes defeating the Socialist Revolutionists candidate. It happened immediately after the re-introduction of early voting, respectively there more than 10% of votes were cast before the Election Day what permitted the victory of UR.

We always play an inquisitive role at polling stations. I do not know whether this is good or bad, but it is the role we have chosen many years ago and therefore we provoke attention. Previously ‘Golos’ has received appreciation from the election commission of Irkutsk region, as well as a telegram from the chairman of the regional election commission greeting us with our tenth anniversary.

For many years our regional election commission has been treating the activities of ‘Golos’ as natural practice. The non-partisan election observation must be in force.

У нас вышел политический глянцевый журнал «Иркутские кулуары». Там на меня нарисовали шарж, и написали, что 2015 был годом, когда «Голос» стал серьезной силой в Иркутске.

‘Irkutsk lobby’, No. 3-4 (35-36) November-December 2015. ‘What concerns the bunny ears it is all right - I was born under the sign of Rabbit. Moreover, I agree that I am young at heart. I have been standing on a stool often and for a long time… I like walking in shorts’, - Alexey Viktorovich commented on the cartoon

About PECs

Together with the regional election commission we held an Olympiad on Electoral Law among law students. Law students from all the universities - eight of them - are participating in the competition. On February 29 this year the 5th or 6th joint Olympiad is held.

I feel always welcomed at the regional election commission – tea is offered; a training manual is given as a gift. I have good contacts with all the chairmen of territorial election commissions in Irkutsk: 4 urban ones and 1 regional. We keep close contact with all the TECs. If I face any difficulty or a question arise at a polling station, I can call a chairman of any of them.

Irkutsk region is one of those regions where persons engaged in election observation, as journalists, whatever the news agency they represent, are not obstructed from doing so.

At ‘Golos’ events, I was very surprised to hear for the first time the colleagues’ stories that someone was expelled, taken out, taken away from polling stations, etc.

Sometimes some misunderstandings arise at the territorial and precinct election commissions, however, all the problems are solved shortly.

Of course, we also faced some challenges. I remember it was my first election observation mission with ‘Golos’, our guys started taking photos and made some comments: candidates’ posters were placed less than 50 meters away from the polling station. They were taken to the police to clarify the issue. Then people had not yet realized that there were some wiseacres who asked indecent questions, but over time they got used to this.

The second round of Gubernatorial Elections in the region. Observers noticed some oddities happening with absentee ballots. From the Irkutsk ‘Golos’ page on Facebook[/caption]

In many respects it happened thanks to Viktor Ignatenko, he is the incumbent first deputy-governor. He has been a chairman of the regional election commission for many years. He set up the rule: the commissions must work. I know some cases when the parties have had some difficulties with submission of documents - a comma, for example, was written in the wrong place - they were given an opportunity to run for regional elections. The election commission has been engaged in ‘educational activities’, giving time for correcting mistakes. While in some other regions candidates and parties are immediately ‘cut down’ for such things and they are precluded from running for election.

About youth and volunteers

Judging by the responses in the Olympiads, the youth respects the electoral system, maybe giving more credit than it deserves.

We have many young commission members: in PEC, as well as in TEC. Many observers are young - not only the ones representing ’Golos’ or its supporters, but also the observers nominated by candidates.

Many candidates are young. Most often they play a technical role, but it is a good experience.

I am a lecturer in the History Faculty and a few of my students - political scientists - have run for elections. I think it is a great experience for novice political scientist to run as a candidate for any kind of elections in order to step into the shoes of a candidate, smell gunpowder, even in Tmutarakan.

In 2007, when we were recruiting students for election observation, the interest in elections was high, we received about 60-70 people. Although then there was a small stimulation of 1,000 rubles [for communication and other expenses on the polling day - Ed.], which played a kind of inducement role.

Now, there are guys who like a lot being involved in the political processes, but in general, it seems to me, the youth became lazier. This is not applied to the election observation as such, but the educational process in general. With each year it becomes more amorphous. I hope that we find people who are not indifferent to observe the elections in September 2016.

For the election that was held last year, in total we have trained 50 new persons. We had four election observation missions to observe: Mayoral Election in Angarsk (April), two rounds of Gubernatorial Election (September) and the Mayoral Election in Irkutsk region (December).

The day after the first round of Gubernatorial Election. ‘There were a lot of newcomers among us - young students and all remarkably well coped with the given task’, - Mr. Petrov praised the guys

It is very important not just to spend a whole boring day at a polling station, but to do something there. Then there is a stimulus to observe some other elections in a year.

Interest arises when guys see the results of their work.

In the first round of Gubernatorial Elections, one of our female observers noticed that the mobile ballot box after the voting at home was completed, contained one extra ballot considering the number of ballots the commission members took with them for voting at home. She impelled the commission to invalidate it. It was a small victory. However, then the territorial election commission members rushed in and cancelled the PEC decision.

At the time, on the polling day my female colleagues made the police in Angarsk to remove a large 3x6 banner advertising for the incumbent government, which was displayed less than 50 meters away from the polling station. The candidates could not make it and they managed to reach out to the law enforcement. These little moments of success mean the public scrutiny is something necessary, our volunteers understand their own importance.

And it is a hobby. We have young women who have graduated from university. They started election observation while being students and until now once a year they have been observing elections in order to preserve the skills. Moreover, they are interested in doing this.

The difficulties

Many say that a short term [the day of voting - Ed.] observation is not the most important process, the long-term observation [observation of the election campaign, LTO - Ed.] is more significant, as the election results are now often pre-determined a week before the polling day.

During the LTO missions you can observe busing of people: candidates are actively engaged in race. For example, in the Mayoral Election in Irkutsk region [December 6, 2015 - Ed.] approx. 24% of voters were bused. In respect to the turnout – the number of people voting in the election - is one out of four.

We spoke with the chairman of the territorial commission. He said that they estimated that out of 6000 who were bused, only 40 persons really had to vote on early voting day. The remaining 5960 persons were brought by candidates.

The regional election commission took an initiative - on the basis of these elections and it was not excluded that due to the fact that we had been digging into this issue in press all the time – to re-locate the early voting to the TEC. Considering busing, in case of TEC – voters should be brought only to one place and in case of PECs – voters are brought to many different locations at the same time. There will be less busing cases and it will be possible to destroy the system of busing.

It seems to me, this bill, soon to be considered by the Legislative Assembly, contains our position, which has been publicly reiterated.

The turnout of early voting (percentage) in Angarsk, where on April 26, 2015 Mayoral Elections and the Election to City Council were held, was 10 times higher than in Moscow. Mr. Petrov shared his calculations on the Facebook page of Irkutsk ‘Golos’

About the aspirations

What would I wish for? Money for the observers. Though it is trivial, but I think that the work should be paid. We have lots of volunteers, but the election observation stipulates the necessity of professionals, and you have to pay for the work of professionals.

Although the money is not the most important thing. I would like our electoral laws were amended not so often, as we do not manage to comprehend it.

I wish the youth does not to lose faith in a bright future. They will live here, not everyone will leave. Maybe some are sceptical, but someday fair elections are held across the country.