More on Russian elections
Here's a case study on how United Russia wins elections.Idealism Amid the Cynicism of Russian Politics
"In a country where complaints of vote-rigging are common -- and commonly ignored -- Anton Chumachenko's stands out: The authorities say he won an election, but he insists he lost.
"A first-time candidate for office and a member of Vladimir Putin's ruling United Russia party, Chumachenko won a seat on a local legislative council in St. Petersburg last month. Three weeks later, he publicly renounced his own victory, expressing disgust that votes had been falsified in his favor..."In a recent interview, he exhibited that youthful mix of earnestness and ambition so familiar in official Washington. The skinny 23-year-old with thick, arched eyebrows, a dark two-button suit and a degree in public relations said it was a "childhood dream" to seek office, adding that he hoped to fix roads, organize street patrols to fight crime and make St. Petersburg a more attractive tourist destination.
"As for his selection of a political party, Chumachenko said he didn't have much choice. 'I understood that only this political party would give me the power and opportunities to change things,' he said. 'If I worked with any other party, it would be just words, and I think it's better to do something than just criticize.'
"As president and now as prime minister, Putin has worked to weaken Russia's opposition parties while concentrating power in United Russia, whose members hold the vast majority of the nation's elected posts, including more than two-thirds of the seats in parliament.
"But the ruling party established in 2001 remains a work in progress. It has struggled in particular to contain infighting in municipal elections, one of the few remaining venues for open political competition in Russia...
"Chumachenko has provided evidence to the court and urged it to transfer his mandate to Vishnevsky. A ruling is pending. Meanwhile, prosecutors have sought to examine the original ballots. Election officials say they were damaged when a water pipe burst, an explanation that has been used before in Russia to stall investigations into election irregularities.
"'We have very smart pipes,' Chumachenko said with a grin. 'They know exactly where to leak.'"
See also:
- Songs of innocence and experience from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
- Follow up on Sochi election
- Green, local politics or something else?
- Russian mayoral election
- Local elections in Russia
Labels: corruption, elections, parties, political culture, Russia
posted by Ken Wedding @ 9:12 AM
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Candidate Sues to Overturn Election Results"The Kremlin critic Boris Y. Nemtsov filed suit in a municipal court in the southern Russian city of Sochi on Thursday, seeking to overturn the results of the April 26 mayoral elections. The Moscow-backed candidate, Anatoly N. Pakhomov, won 76.8 percent of the popular vote, with Mr. Nemtsov, left, running a distant second with 13.6 percent...
"Mr. Nemtsov’s lawsuit cites 40 violations of election laws, among them the destruction of campaign materials and the suppression of news coverage. Olga Shorina, a spokeswoman for Mr. Nemtsov, said the campaign was prepared to appeal to regional and federal courts and then, if necessary, to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France."
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