[home page][map of the server][news of the server][forums][publications][Yabloko's Views]
RIA Novosti, August 31, 2004

Communists And Liberals Challenge Duma Poll


MOSCOW, August 31 (RIA Novosti) - Russian political party activists are challenging the most recent elections last winter to the State Duma, parliament's lower house. A suit will reach the federal Supreme Court next week. The Communist Party, the reform-minded YABLOKO, and Sergei Ivanenko, Irina Khakamada, Vladimir Ryzhkov and Georgi Satarov - members of the Liberal committee, 2008: Free Choice - are demanding the annulment of election returns and appointment of a date for new early parliamentary elections.

"Regional governors, town mayors, big officials and other men-of-straw were running on party tickets, eventually to refuse to enter parliament. That will be one of the key points of our lawsuit," Georgi Satarov, prominent political expert and INDEM foundation president, said to Novosti.

"Our suit ushers in a legal dispute of political purport," says Sergei Ivanenko, YABLOKO First Deputy Chairman.

Boris Nemtsov, prominent on the Free Choice committee, refused to sign the suit. "I did it for personal reasons. I acknowledged our defeat in the elections and chose to step down [resigning from co-presidency of the political party, Union of Right-Wing Forces, which did not win any seats in parliament]. To dispute the past election now means to cut a melodramatic figure with a 'hard-luck story'. I don't like such things. That doesn't mean I deny the election laws were broken," he told Novosti.

Liberal reform parties failed to cross the 5 per cent threshold for parliamentary representation. Now, they have gathered on the committee, 2008: Free Choice, to talk over prospects for a bloc and joint ticket at the nearest parliamentary election, due 2008.

 

See also:

Elections to the State Duma, 2003

RIA Novosti, August 31, 2004

[home page][map of the server][news of the server][forums][publications][Yabloko's Views]

english@yabloko.ru
Project Director: Vyacheslav Erohin e-mail: admin@yabloko.ru Director: Olga Radayeva, e-mail: english@yabloko.ru
Administrator: Vlad Smirnov, e-mail: vladislav.smirnov@yabloko.ru