Simonovsky District Court, Moscow, refused to satisfy YABLOKO’s
suit on cancellation of the results of the voting at two Moscow
electoral districts, where progovernmental United Russia obtained
231 additional votes via fraud.
The judge chose to conduct hearings in the absence of YABLOKO’s
representative. She also prohibited journalist from the Kommersant-Vlast
paper to take notes during the process.
YABLOKO’s arguments based on a considerable discrepancy between
the protocols given to the observers on the election day October
11, 2009, and the official results of the voting. Thus 96
votes were taken LDPR, Just Russia and Patriots of Russia
and added to the United Russia party. The chair of this electoral
commission explained this by an error. “Provisional” protocols
where figures represented a mere “guess work” were allegedly
given to the observers, however, later the mistake was detected
and amended. However, the chair of the commission failed to
explain how this “guess work” managed to virtually coincide
with the real results of the voting, especially in case of
YABLOKO and CPRF.
Chair of the commission No 1701 also stated that he had “noticed
a mistake” in the protocols after the observers receiving
such copies were already gone, however, he had recounted the
votes. During such recounting United Russia obtained 135 votes
and YABLOKO, the CPRF, Just Russia and the Patriots of Russia
lost 135 votes. Voters turnout also unexpectedly grew after
the recounting.
Despite the obvious violation of the provisions of article
68 of the law “On the Basic Guarantees of Franchise” envisaging
that protocols should be given to the observers only after
they are signed, the judge refused to satisfy YABLOKO’s suit.
YABLOKO will appeal this decision in the Moscow City Court.
See also:
Moscow City
Duma Elections, 2009
A
trial on the fraud at the electoral districts where over 1,000
votes were stuffed for the United Russia party began. Press
Release, November 26, 2009
On
non-recognition of the results of the elections of October
11, 2009, and the need to investigate cases of franchise violations.
Statement of the Bureau of the Russian United Democratic Party
YABLOKO.
October 19, 2009
Election
fraud at the Moscow City Duma elections. From the Live Journal
of Igor Yakovlev, Press Secretary of the YABLOKO party
Violations at the
Moscow City Duma elections. Press Release. October 12, 2009
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