Opinions & Interviews

MOSCOW, 18 March (BelTA) – The results of the presidential elections in Russia are of utmost significance for the Belarusian-Russian relations, BelTA learned from Sergei Rakhmanov, the chairman of the Council of the Republic’s permanent commission on international affairs and national security, who is observing the elections in Moscow as part of the Union State PA delegation.

“These elections were important not only for Russia. They were also important for the Belarusian-Russian relations,” the MP said.

Sergei Rakhmanov, as an observer, visited more than ten polling stations in Moscow. “A serious organizational campaign preceded the voting day. According to the preliminary data, the turnout is 20% more than at the previous elections.”

The Belarusian observer also drew attention to the good technical equipment of the polling stations which allows automatic counting of votes. “There were a lot of analytical materials in the run-up to the elections. Analysis and assessments of experts are important and must be used during election campaigns, both in Russia and Belarus,” he added.

Sergei Rakhmanov stressed that the overall preliminary assessment of the electoral process is positive. Because of the high turnout there were crowds at the polling stations, and that was probably the only shortcoming, he added.

The 26-strong delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly took part in the election observation as part of the CIS observation mission. Members of the delegation visited polling stations in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad Oblast and Rostov Oblast, Tatarstan and the Chechen Republic, Krasnodar Krai.