05 March 2004 21:18
Russian presidential candidate supporters protest against breach of election law
[No dateline, as received] On 5 March citizens supporting presidential candidate Irina Khakamada submitted two
complaints to the Central Electoral Commission (CEC), addressed to its chairman, Aleksandr Veshnyakov, Khakamada's
campaign headquarters told Ekho Moskvy radio.
The source said that the complaints had been filed "against actions by presidential candidate [incumbent Russian
President] Vladimir Putin, federal electronic media and officials that run counter to the principle of candidates'
equality and to the legislative restrictions on campaigning activities", as well as against the Central Electoral
Commission's ads that look like One Russia's election ads [used in the 2003 parliamentary election
campaign].
"The complaint to the Central Electoral Commission was provoked by flagrant violation of several articles of the
10 January 2003 federal law "On Russian presidential election". Vladimir Putin has exceeded his duties in
sacking the government which he used as part of his presidential campaign. In addition, the complaint lists names of
several top officials who regularly violate the law on the presidential election by making public statements that
present obvious campaigning in support of candidate Putin. Given the above violations, complainant Vladimir Dalchanin
demands that the Central Electoral Commission notify the Russian Supreme Court of cancelling Putin's registration
as presidential candidate," the headquarters said.
Another complaint filed by Khakamada's headquarters to the Central Electoral Commission concerns CEC ads that
are being shown by federal TV channels to urge voters to take part in the election. The complainant believes that these
ads "directly take from One Russia's election ads that were shown ahead of the [7 December] election to the
State Duma and ended with the words: 'Together with the president. Elect One Russia.' The CEC ads use the same
voice-over and the same video sequence that were used in One Russia's ads. Thus the CEC's official ads
indirectly encourage voters to vote for Putin. That is why complainant Aleksandr Babaytsev has demanded that the Central
Electoral Commission withdraw the ads," the source at Khakamada's headquarters said.
[Ekho Moskvy news agency] |
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