Russian elections 'not free'
2007-12-04 14:05
Moscow - Russia's largest independent vote monitoring body said on Tuesday that parliamentary elections this weekend, in which President Vladimir Putin's party won a landslide victory, were not free.
"We consider these elections were not free, not competitive. These were elections that took place under pressure," the head of Golos, Lilia Shibanova, told journalists in Moscow.
"We have never had so much pressure," Shibanova said, adding that "we cannot have confidence in the results".
Golos fielded 2 500 observers on election day on Sunday, using journalists with access to polling stations, the organisation's website said.
Domestic observers not affiliated to political parties are banned under Russian law.
- AFP