20:00, 6 March 2010

Sochi voters ask Russian President to cancel early elections

Early voting at election of City Assembly. Casting ballots at the Sochi Central Territorial Electoral Commission. Members of the Commission register voters and issue ballot papers. February 26, 2010. Photo by the "Caucasian Knot"

On March 5, individual voters, observers and candidates from CPRF (Communist Party of the Russian Federation), LDPR (Liberal-Democratic Party of Russia), "Edinaya Rossiya" United Russia), and self-nominees began and continue sending their collective and individual applications to the President of the Russian Federation demanding to cancel early elections in Sochi. They find them illegal.

"The fact that population in Sochi is politically illiterate and easy to deceive is a tragedy of our society and gives big room for falsification," said Yuri Maryan, an LDPR's nominee.

He explains that the use of administrative resources is made in three stages: cancellation of unwanted candidates at the stage of submitting documents for nomination and registration; in the course of early voting; and on the very voting day.

According to political scientist Valery Suchkov, the most efficient mechanism against all falsifications is to oblige all the Sochi voters to come and cast their ballots on March 14.

Author: Svetlana Kravchenko

Source: CK correspondent