UK doubts Putin party's win
Foreign Office voices concerns over electoral malpractice allegations in Russian parliamentary polls
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Monday, 03, Dec 2007 08:27
The British government has voiced concerns over the landslide win of Vladimir Putin's party in Russian parliamentary elections.
A spokesman at the Foreign Office said that allegations of electoral malpractice, if proven correct, suggest that the Russian elections were "neither free nor fair".
With virtually all ballots counted, Mr Putin's United Russia has more than 64 per cent of the vote, giving it 315 deputies in the 450-seat Duma.
Britain's stance echoes earlier concerns from electoral monitors at the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe.
According to the OSCE the polls took place in an atmosphere that "seriously limited political competition".
The organisation claims that Russian state resources were abused during the campaign period and media coverage was illegally biased towards the ruling party.
In addition, there have been "widespread reports of harassment of opposition parties", the OSCE said.
The Foreign Office added: "It is vital that the Russian central election commission urgently investigates all allegations of electoral abuses."
Projections give the Communist party 57 seats in the Duma, while the ultranationalist Liberal Democratic party has 40 deputies and the pro-Putin Just Russia party 38 seats.
Opposition parties excluded from the Russian parliament have already rejected the elections as rigged and are expected to lodge an official court appeal.
The elections are being seen in the west as a referendum on Mr Putin's eight years in power.
He is constitutionally obliged to step down as president next year but has raised the possibility of becoming the country's next prime minister.
Despite frequently angering the west over protectionist energy policies and alleged human rights abuses, Mr Putin enjoys considerable popularity in Russia after being credited with an oil-driven economic boom.