Attempts being made to influence ODIHR before elections in Russia - Russian Central Elections Commission official
MOSCOW. Aug 8 (Interfax) - Officials from the OSCE ODIHR mission have told the Russian Central Elections Commission they are getting persistent advice and recommendations on how to monitor the State Duma elections, Russian Central Elections Commission official Vasily Likhachyov said.
"He [Jan Petersen, head of the OSCE ODIHR mission], accidentally or not, said that he is now under, he didn't say pressure, he is getting various advice in international organizations on how to conduct this observation mission: toughly or not, liberally or not liberally," Likhachyov said in an interview with Interfax following a meeting with the mission's delegation in the Central Elections Commission.
"Petersen said he personally will not make any evaluations before the entire picture of the elections is studied. A new thing was stated, for which I can't say we were not ready, but at least it's their right - that the ODIHR is going to prepare another report by September 18, which will address the situation with Russia's preparedness for holding the elections on [September] 18," he said.
Likhachyov said the OSCE ODIHR delegation had informed the Central Elections Commission during the meeting that a substantial final report on the work of the mission will be prepared and published tentatively by late November.
