Are you surprised by this?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7124585.stm
Foreign observers have said that Russia's parliamentary election, won by President Vladimir Putin's party, was "not fair".
The statement was made by a joint observer team of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe.
With nearly 98% of ballots counted, Mr Putin's United Russia had 64.1% of Sunday's vote.
Opposition claims of fraud have been rejected by the electoral commission.
The election "was not fair and failed to meet many OSCE and Council of Europe commitments and standards for democratic elections," the observers from the OSCE's Parliamentary Assembly and the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly told a news conference in Moscow.
2007-12-02 23:00:07 · 9 answers · asked by slıɐuǝoʇ 6 in News & Events ➔ Current Events
Freedom House - an excellent American NGO - have long said that Russia is not a democracy. So no great surprises there.
Rather daming opening paragraph:
"During President Vladimir Putin’s six years in office, the Russian state has consistently cracked down on citizens’ political freedoms while expanding its role in the economy. Key problems such as the instability in the North Caucasus remain unresolved even though Russian forces have killed many of the Chechen terrorists and begun reconstruction of Grozny. Putin’s policies are a reaction to the lawlessness and crime that was rampant during the Yeltsin era. However, by reversing some of Yeltsin’s signal achievements, such as establishing a more pluralistic media, Putin has not managed to put in place political institutions that are accountable to the people. In fact, his administration is relying increasingly on nationalist appeals, which have encouraged ethnic violence in Russian society."
2007-12-02 23:17:08 · answer #1 · answered by Thomas V 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Not in the least surprised. Russia is a strange country. You have millionaires by the score yet vast areas are poverty stricken. There are also gangs of organised crime. I wonder how some of the people made their money. I would not be surprised if a lot of corruption takes place. Dispute allegations that the election was not fair nothing will happen and Putin will remain in power. People in this country are always slating our Government but we must have one of the fairest election systems in the world. It makes you appreciate our democratic society when you hear how elections are carried out in some parts of the world.
2007-12-02 23:11:25 · answer #2 · answered by david c 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Not at all. Unfortunately the case with Russia has been to move from autocracy to autocracy- it's going to take a long time before any real democracy happens there. Indeed, the only thing that still makes it any sort of democracy, is, wait for it, the Communist Party!!
2007-12-02 23:05:24 · answer #3 · answered by Don't Panic 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Theres no way on this planet that a KGB guy is going to have a fair election. Probably the most corrupt country in the world.
I remember talking to this taxi driver who was from russia, he was telling me about how corrupt it was there. To get your mail from the mailman you have to pay him off.
hehehehe,
2007-12-02 23:24:25 · answer #4 · answered by WhereTheBuffaloRoam 5 · 3⤊ 1⤋
i think Russia is far from democracy, as well as the ellections that took place there
2007-12-02 23:17:49 · answer #5 · answered by leluuu 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes, i'm surprised.
I thought they had evolved.
Seems we all have a long way to go.
2007-12-02 23:08:15 · answer #6 · answered by Faith 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Russia is not even democratic...What else can you expect.
2007-12-03 00:04:17 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
if labour get in again here, then we know ours is fixed too
2007-12-02 23:22:15 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
they should be happy they have got an election.
we are still waiting for Gordon Brown to call one
2007-12-02 23:07:29 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 5⤋