‘Golos’ Platform ‘All-Russian Citizen Election Forum’ underway

On November 19, Moscow will host the IV All-Russian Citizen Forum (ARCF). ARCF is the largest annual meeting of Russian civil society, where the most pressing issues are discussed and a joint statement encompassing recommendations how to address these questions is released. The topic of this year - the future and current changes in the socius, as environment or social framework, search for a new model of welfare state.

ARCF is hosted by the Committee of Citizen Initiatives (CCI), led by Alexei Kudrin. In total, 14 experts will join the forum.

This year, as in the past, the movement ‘Golos’ presents its election expert platform. The organization will moderate a discussion on modernization of Russian electoral system, taking into consideration the recent 2016 Election Observation reports. The experts, as well as the public can take part in an open discussion.

‘The citizen attitude towards election seems ambiguous. According to opinion polls, popular vote as such is considered to be a preferred method of transfer of power. However, the population rates the quality of elections as rather low. Such assessment can be perceived as a public verdict over the Russian electoral and political system - in Russia, elections are unfair, uncompetitive, induces rather little change. We believe that such trend is extremely dangerous and, in fact, deprive the active part of society, which is critical of state policies, from exercising any legal ways of engagement in the political arena of the country, expressing their views and opinions,’ – posted on the website of ARCF ‘Elections and referendums’.

The IV ARCF could become the most representative since its establishment. The Forum source informed RBC, that this year several federal politicians and executives close to the government lieu may take part in this event. The forum coordinators have invited the chairman of Accounts Chamber Tatyana Golikova, the Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich, the deputy chairman of Vnesheconombank Andrei Klepach, the Minister of Labor and Social Protection Maxim Topilin, the chairman of Central Election Commission (CEC) Ella Pamfilova, the general director of Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI) Andrei Nikitin, the rector of Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration Vladimir Mau, the rector of the Higher School of Economics Yaroslav Kuzminov.

Venue of the Forum: International Trade Center, Moscow, Krasnopresnenskaya embankment, 12, entrance 4.