DATE=12/18/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=RUSSSIA/ELECTIONS (L)
NUMBER=2-257279
BYLINE=EVE CONANT
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
/// VOTING BEGINS IN RUSSIAN FAR EAST AT 20:00 UTC
SATURDAY, ENDS 18:00 UTC SUNDAY IN KALININGRAD.
OFFICIAL PRELIMINARY RESULTS EXPECTED 7:00 UTC MONDAY
///
INTRO: More than 107-million Russians in 11 time
zones are eligible to vote this Sunday in elections
for a new parliament. Half of the 450 seats in
Russia's state Duma are decided on party lists, with
the rest of the seats contested for by individual
candidates. Moscow correspondent Eve Conant reports
many of the parties, whether they are communist or
democratic, say they approve of market reforms, but
that Russia needs strong leaders to keep the nation
powerful.
TEXT: Political advertisements have been taken off
the air, politicians are banned from campaigning, and
Russians are being encouraged to think in peace and
quiet about who they want to run Russia's parliament
for the next four years.
Twenty-six parties are competing for seats in Russia's
state Duma, with about six parties expected to break
the five percent vote threshold. Opinion polls say
the leading contenders are the Communists and the
newly formed Unity party backed by the Kremlin. The
Communists have relied mostly on quiet door-to-door
campaigning, while the Unity party has gained support
following the blessing of Russia's popular prime
minister, Vladimir Putin. Mr. Putin is riding an
unprecedented crest of popularity by masterminding the
war in Chechnya, which most Russians support.
Polls predict the centrist Fatherland-All Russia bloc,
led by former Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov and
Moscow's powerful mayor, is running closely behind in
third place. But while the faces of the various
contenders may look different, the issues in their
pre-election campaigns have been largely similar.
For the past four years, Russia's parliament has been
dominated by the Communist Party. But this time
around - says the director of the Carnegie
Foundation's Moscow Center, Alan Rousso - both
communist and democratic parties have made similar
promises.
/// Act Rousso ///
Certainly the underlying themes are themes like
stability, law and order, patriotism, decency
and anti-corruption. These are the things that
almost every party has adopted as part of its
overarching ideology, because they are grand
themes that almost any voter can attach
themselves to.
/// End Act ///
Almost all the parties hoping to get elected on Sunday
say they support Moscow's military offensive in
Chechnya. Those who have opposed the campaign have
seen their ratings fall.
/// Opt ///
But the Carnegie political analyst, Mr. Rousso, points
out that contenders have spent more time attacking
their opposition than putting forward any constructive
economic or political programs.
/// Rousso Act ///
Rather than a campaign which has really been
focused on ideas, which would seem more
consistent with building democracy, we've seen a
campaign which has primarily been about
character assassination and favoritism. And so,
the extent to which the public seems informed is
I think quite low. It starts to look less and
less like Russia has a free press which is one
of the most important institutions of a
democracy.
/// End Act ///
Many average Russians say they are glad the mud
slinging and accusations are over, at least for
awhile. But people like Alexander Moshkov say the
most important thing is to get younger lawmakers into
parliament.
/// Act Moshkov in Russian in full and
fade under ///
He says "I don't need a Stalin to rule Russia. I just
want a young, energetic person who is not afraid of
taking responsibility."
/// End Opt ///
Shop assistant Elena Kulakova says she will vote on
Sunday, but she does not yet know for whom.
/// Act Kulakova in Russian in full and
fade under ///
She says, "I don't trust any of them. Politics is
dirty business. The politicians have their standard
of living and we have ours. They will never
understand us and we will never understand them."
/// Opt /// In general, there was little optimism to
be found on the streets of Moscow. Several people
said they simply would not vote at all, that they were
tired of hearing empty promises. But after years of
economic decline and political in-fighting, there did
seem to be some accord between the voters and the
politicians. Most Russians echo what the politicians
have been saying - that Russia needs tough talking
leaders, people of action and not words. Sunday's
elections will show who they believe fits that
description. /// End Opt ///
Polls open first in Russia's Far East, and close last
in western regions such as Kaliningrad. The war-torn
republic of Chechnya is the only region not taking
part in the vote. (Signed)
NEB/EC/DW/JP
18-Dec-1999 10:53 AM EDT (18-Dec-1999 1553 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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