Independent assessment of Russian elections raises UK concern
Foreign Office Minister David Lidington has spoken after the preliminary assessment of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission on the Russian Duma elections.
The elections were held in Russia on 4 December. Speaking today the Foreign Office Minister said:
“The preliminary assessment of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission on the Russian Duma elections has raised several causes for concern, in particular highlighting the convergence of the state and the governing party, limited political competition and a lack of fairness.
“These conclusions underline the need for alleged electoral violations to be investigated rapidly and transparently, and to ensure that all democratic institutions - including the media, civil society, and opposition political groups - are able to operate freely in Russia.”