CEC has started the countdown to the single Election Day

by Natalya Tikhonova 

June 20, the Central Election Commission (CEC) started the countdown to the single Election Day.

On September 18, 9 regional governors, MPs to 39 Regional Legislative Assemblies and 450 MPs to the State Duma will be elected. The chairwoman of the Central Election Commission, Ella Pamfilova reminded that, in total, approximately 5000 campaigns will be run. The ceremony to activate the countdown clock for the Election was attended by the representatives of State Duma factions.

The Secretary of the General Council of the party ‘United Russia’ Sergei Neverov said that the Russian political system becomes more overt. According to him, this year 74 political parties will stand for election, 14 of them were exempted from collecting voters’ signatures. According to Neverov in the first place the upcoming election will induce competition of political manifestos.

The chairman of Central Committee of the Communist Party Gennady Zyuganov called on the CEC to fight against the ‘Black PR’ that already appeared across media outlets. He also said that the party was supported by 600 labor groups. Zyuganov highlighted the importance of the upcoming election in order to pull the country out of the financial crisis.

The LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky promised to purge the party lists of ‘suspicious’ candidates, whose activities might invoke involvement of law enforcement agencies. He reminded that the LDPR party-list won the 1993 Election to the State Duma and he hoped to repeat the success.

The Secretary of the Presidium of the party ‘Just Russia’ Alexander Romanovich urged precinct election commissions to be in particular cautious with the vote count.

The CEC chairwoman Ella Pamfilova proposed the party leaders to shake hands as a sign of readiness to support fair race.