CEC determined powers and announced new regulations

On April 13, the third meeting of Central Election Commission (RF CEC) in the new composition was held. At the meeting, the powers of each CEC member were determined, the complaints and criticism were voiced, the new rules concerning the work of the commission were announced.

Responsibilities of CEC members

The CEC of Russia determined the duties of each member of the commission in the new composition. The responsibilities of the commission members are provisioned in the respective CEC decision.

The CEC chairwoman Ella Pamfilova will we responsible for interaction with the federal authorities concerning the preparation and conduct of elections.

The deputy chairman of the commission Nikolay Bulaev will take up the financial control over political parties.

The Vice-Speaker of the State Duma Nikolai Levichev will oversee the CEC international cooperation.

Ella Pamfilova, Vasily Likhachev, Nikolai Levichev and Siyabshah Shapiev will be in charge of the accreditation of international election observers.

Moreover, the chief of CEC staff was appointed at the meeting. The office will be held by the former member of the Central Election Commission Sergey Danilenko.

Complaints handling

Pamfilova explained that for the period from 4 to 12 April, the CEC received 471 complaints of violations, including from the members of State Duma and senators. The CEC has received, among others, a set of specific allegations concerning the violations and complaints related to the electoral processes.

The chairwoman of CEC noted that the CEC should give focus on more responsive work in regard to the incoming complaints of political parties.

The CEC received complaints concerning the work of election commissions in St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod and the Ramenskoye district.

Pamfilova said that the CEC intends to visit a number of problematic areas, including St. Petersburg and Nizhny Novgorod election commissions, where they have found numerous violations. The report on the results of the visits shall be issued. The formal information requests have been already addressed to the St. Petersburg election commission.

At the meeting, the complaint of IA ‘Zakon’ (the representative of publication was present at the meeting room) was as well voiced, as it was referring to the limitations of the journalists’ rights imposed by the election commissions in the Tambov region. At that time the Commission adopted a resolution on interim rules for the accreditation of media representatives for covering local elections held on April 3, 2016 [on April 3, a similar scenario took place as well in the Perm region – Ed.].

The chairman of the Tambov election commission Andrey Ofitserov explained that it was a dispensable decision of ‘non-binding nature’.

Moreover, the chairwoman of Central Election Commission has evaluated the CEC work on handling complaints as dissatisfactory and therefore a special unit shall be established.

The unit shall investigate the complaints of citizens, facilitate the hotline, organize citizens’ meetings in person with CEC members, facilitate the work of CEC office reception, as well as the automated supervision of the investigation of complaints, organize the all-Russian Open Day for citizens.

International election observation

The chairwoman of CEC stated that the CEC will conduce to the facilitation of set up required for full-fledged international election observation of the Election to the State Duma. The Commission will oversee that the rights and responsibilities of international election observers stipulated by law are respected.