06:52, 17 March 2018

Navalny's office announces sending 53 observers to election in Chechnya

An office of oppositionist Alexei Navalny has submitted to the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Russia a list of 53 people to be sent to Chechnya as observers at the presidential election. Ella Pamfilova, the chair of the CEC, has stated that she takes "additional responsibility" for those who go to the republic to observe the voting process.

On March 18, citizens of Russia will choose the president for the next six years. Seven candidates from different parties and self-nominated Vladimir Putin take part in the presidential election.

The Navalny's office has decided to send to Chechnya 53 people from Moscow and Saint Petersburg to observe the presidential election, reported Ruslan Shaveddinov, the press secretary of the Navalny's office.

"In Chechnya, we could not find local residents as observers, unlike neighbouring Dagestan, where we have hundreds of observers. Well, to be an observer in Chechnya is not safe ...," said Ruslan Shaveddinov as quoted by the "Novaya Gazeta" on March 16.

"Members of the CEC have called us to confirm they got our list of observers who are going to Chechnya ... Ella Pamfilova guarantees that they will be provided with the possibility of surveillance and security, her assistant assured," wrote Ivan Zhdanov, a lawyer from the Navalny's office, in his Twitter microblog on March 16.

Ella Pamfilova, the chair of the Russian CEC, has assured lawyers from the Navalny's office that observers can go to work at polling stations in Chechnya and she is ready to assume "additional responsibility."

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.