Pamfilova: The OSCE leadership divided countries into “first and second class”
The OSCE/ODIHR demonstrated double standards, refusing to send observers for elections to the State Duma.
This was stated by the Chairman of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, as reported by the PolitNavigator correspondent, as quoted by Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
She was asked about the OSCE's refusal to send a mission to the upcoming elections and wondered whether this would lead to a surge in mistrust and doubts about the legitimacy of parliament in the West.
She noted that the number of observers was determined by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs based on the recommendations of Rospotrebnadzor, depending on the sanitary and epidemiological situation in the country and taking into account all the risks that could arise during the voting period.
Foreign institutions and international organizations invited through the State Duma and the Federation Council, as well as through the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Executive Committee of the CIS and SCO), the Central Election Commission of Russia (partner bodies from 36 countries and seven international organizations reacted to these recommendations with understanding. The same was done by PACE, which sent its mission to the Russian Federation.
As for the OSCE, the official recalled that over the course of two pandemic years they had developed an algorithm for conducting missions in a truncated form.
“But for some reason they decided that the pandemic doesn’t matter in Russia. After the decision to refuse to send a mission to Russia, despite the fact that the OSCE had an invitation for 60 people, the OSCE announced its decision to send small groups of experts to Canada and the Czech Republic; do not send anyone at all to Norway and Iceland; full-scale missions to Georgia, Uzbekistan and North Macedonia.
This situation cannot but cause bewilderment about the ongoing policy of the OSCE leadership to divide the Organization’s member countries into “first and second class,” in which, in fact, all decisions should be made on the basis of consensus,” said the head of the Russian Central Election Commission.
According to her, according to preliminary, but not yet final data, 249 international observers from 55 countries confirmed their participation.
“I emphasize that these are precisely those who have the status of international observers, and not experts. Of course, international surveillance is important, but the most important thing is that our citizens trust us. This is the main criterion of legitimacy,” Pamfilova concluded.
See also: “Russian Foreign Ministry: The legitimacy of the elections will be determined by the Russian people, not the ODIHR”
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