Golos supports CEC’s aspiration to return NGO observers

Speaking at the Terrain of Meanings at Klyazma youth forum, the chairwoman of the Central Election Commission of Russia Ella Pamfilova said that non-government organizations (NGOs) should be given an opportunity to send their observers to the ballot stations on the election day.

“I am firmly convinced that we should engage other public institutions that have no direct connections with the parties. We should not only revive some of the good traditions of public oversight from the past, we should take them to a new level. I can only see the expedience of it,” said the CEC chairwoman, answering questions from the journalists.

Pamfilova believes that the presence of such observers will increase the public’s trust in the concept of elections, and will be “useful to the country.”

In accordance with the current electoral legislation, NGOs cannot take direct part in the observation process, unless their representatives serve as observers from the parties and candidates.

The Golos movement has always spoken for creation, or, rather, return of legislative guarantees for election observers representing NGOs. This is why we support the head of Russia’s Central Election Commission in her initiative to strengthen and expand public oversight during elections.

Earlier, Golos’ coordinator Anton Sheinin proposed that the NGOs should be given back their right to send observers to the elections in the Yaroslavl Region, and the region’s human rights ombudsmam Sergei Baburkin endorsed this suggestion.