The Yabloko party proposes to use the Internet for public control over
elections.

This was announced by the leader of Yabloko Grigory Yavlinsky on Thursday, July 12, 2001, at the conference "Internet in Election Campaigns".

According to Yavlinsky, the present system of control over elections is far from perfect, and makes it possible for "deviations" in the counting of votes. In particular, vote manipulations take place, according to Yavlinsky, when drafting the primary protocols of votes (including at the regional level).

Grigory Yavlinsky also said that during past presidential elections, the result of Yabloko in the Saratov region, at least in those electoral districts where Yabloko managed to get these primary protocols, was three times larger than the official one.

However, according to Grigory Yavlinsky, any resort to the courts would lead only to the punishment of several persons, but would not create grounds to overturn the results of elections. To pass such a decision, the court would require information from at least half of all electoral districts, and there are 96,000 of these in Russia, noted Grigory Yavlinsky.

In view of this, Yabloko proposes that the primary protocols be published, that are "more of less accurately" made at electoral districts and can provide public control over the process of adding up votes.

"We need copies of the primary protocols and their processing as early as the night following the elections, and this is possible only with the help of the Internet," stressed Grigory Yavlinsky.

Transfer via the Internet and comparison of primary protocols, as well publication of the results of exit polls will facilitate the creation of an effective civil mechanism of elections in Russia.

However, according to Grigory Yavlinsky, "people can not clearly see that they are being deceived." The leader of Yabloko also noted that the proposed mechanism does not contradict election laws, as publication of primary protocols and their analysis will be conducted when the voting has been finished and will not influence the position of the electorate.

Grigory Yavlinsky also noted that Yabloko has a project envisaging publication of the roll-call votes of the deputies of the State Duma and records of its meetings, which later will be followed by direct broadcasts over the Internet of meetings of the upper chamber.

The Yabloko faction will make the corresponding proposal to the State Duma at the autumn session.

In addition, Yabloko plans to create a web site in favour of the referendum on repealing the laws envisaging imports of spent nuclear fuel into Russia. The decision to initiate such a referendum was adopted by the Central Council of Yabloko on June 11, 2001.

Based on Interfax reports.