DATE=12/1/1999
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
TITLE=RUSSIAN ELECTIONS
NUMBER=5-44877
BYLINE=ED WARNER
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: On December 19th, Russians will vote for
members of the Duma, the lower house of parliament.
The election is important because the legislature is
expected to assume more power in the years ahead. The
vote will also be a preview of next year's
presidential election. To help assure an honest,
effective tally, an American organization has been
working with Russian election officials.
Correspondent Ed Warner reports some of the Americans'
observations about the upcoming election.
TEXT: Voting can be fun in Russia, says Paul
DeGregorio of the International Foundation for
Election Systems, or IFES:
// DEGREGORIO ACT //
Go to a polling station, and there is loud music
to welcome you to the station. There is food
for sale at discounted prices. So you feel good
as you are coming in. Some places there might
be vodka and other things for sale. There are
flowers. I mean it really looks nice.
// END ACT //
This cheerful welcome dates back to Soviet times when
people had to be encouraged to come to the polls since
their vote was meaningless. Only one party appeared
on the ballot. It would win whether they voted or
not.
Today in post-Communist Russia, people have to get
used to the idea their vote can count. To help with
the change, an International Foundation for Election
Systems' team has analyzed the election process in
great detail. The foundation team has offered some
advice as Russians prepare to vote for the Duma, or
lower house, on December 19th.
Mr. DeGregorio, who first studied elections in his
home state of Missouri, has just returned from
consultations in Russia and is optimistic about the
vote. He expects a big turnout and minimal fraud,
though observers are essential:
// DEGREGORIO ACT //
They have a very professional election
commission now, and I think they are serious
about trying to improve the process, and to show
to Europeans and the west they can have good
elections. A lot depends on who is appointed
and the professional attitude they take and the
managerial skills that they have on the job.
// END ACT //
The election has produced one unpleasant surprise,
says Mr. DeGregorio. It has attracted some unsavory
candidates to run for office for self-serving reasons:
// DEGREGORIO ACT //
A lot of businessmen are buying their way on
these party lists to get to the top so they get
elected. So they more or less have technical
and real immunity from prosecution, and they
wield their political power. We are seeing more
of that - paying big sums of money over the
table and under the table.
// END ACT //
Lewis Madanick, a program officer of the foundation,
cites another problem: the influence of a highly
partisan media. Newspapers and television stations
are owned by the state or by big businesses with close
ties to government.
Mr. Madanick says they tend to pursue their special
agendas rather than inform the public. He insists
that the foundation sticks to technicalities and stays
out of politics, but he discerns a moderate trend in
Russia that should enhance the power of the Duma:
// MADANICK ACT //
We are finding the parties are homogenizing more
around the center, as opposed to a strong
diametrically opposed democratization versus
Communist, which I think is healthy. We are
also finding less parties, which show less of a
spectrum. Of course, there are radical fringe
groups -- nationalist groups, far-left groups,
far right groups- but they seem to be
marginalized.
// END ACT //
Mr. Madanick says a successful December election will
be another solid step in building an enduring Russian
democracy. (SIGNED)
NEB/EW/ENE/RAE
01-Dec-1999 13:19 PM EDT (01-Dec-1999 1819 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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