Address of the Chairman of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation Mr V.E.Churov to Users of the CEC Internet Site

Dear Internet users! Let me greet you on the official Internet site of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation.

I would like to draw your attention to the following events conducted by the Russian electoral system in 2013 as a part of numerous events of the election campaign.    

The Russian election system celebrated the 20th anniversary last year. This is an important  milestone in the history of Russian democracy. Russian Parliament elections and nation-wide referendum in respect of the draft of the new Constitution in 1993 opened  a new chapter  in the Russian history.

The Russian election system is being gradually improved. Users of the Internet site of CEC of Russia may get acquainted with the last important changes in the election legislation, with measures for the optimization of organizational and technical infrastructure of the election process and for the strengthening of personnel of election commissions.   Serious  steps on the part of the whole system of election commissions (including Central election commission of the Russian Federation, election commissions of 83 subjects of the Russian Federation, 2744  territorial election commissions and precinct election commissions) were required for the practical realization of the stated innovations in 2013. Norms and regulations, methodical recommendations were developed and approved, software of State Automated System “Vybory” was updated, and  organizers of elections were trained.    

Great attention was paid to matters connected with the attraction of representatives of the political parties and public associations  as members of the election commissions, for the purposes of strengthening of civil control of the process of preparation and conduct of elections.  Section  «Forming of precinct election commissions and reserve of members of precinct commissions» gives systemized information and statistical data concerning the process of formation of precinct  election commissions in the Russian Federation subjects.  Some figures illustrate the scope of the stated unprecedented process in clear form.    

830 thousand members of the precinct election commissions with a casting vote were appointed in due time as stipulated by provisions of law. Political parties took active part in the process of formation of commissions: 46 of 48 political parties having submitted proposals,  were represented in the precinct commissions.   Provided that more than 77% of total number of appointed members of the precinct commissions with a casting vote had get a high professional level and experience of activity in election system.

The process of formation of commissions was open,  information appeared on the Internet site of CEC of Russia and sites of election commissions of the Russian Federation subjects in full and in due time.  Regional elections on 8  September, 2013. showed that absolute majority of precinct election commissions had withstood the first time under fire.

A Single Voting Day in the subjects of the Russian Federation become an important event of 2013 year.  Election legislation had been corrected prior to the elections.   

Section  «Election legislation and law on referendums» of the Internet site of CEC of Russia keeps voters and all electoral process participants timely informed  about the changes in the laws. 

Thus, regional parliaments got an opportunity to choose the procedure of substitution of  the post of  head of the region – by direct elections on a higher official (head on higher executive body) or by electing by deputies of legislative (representation) body of the Russian Federation subject.  

Federal legislation set forth additional requirements to candidates connected with the use of foreign assets and foreign financial instruments.

Special attention was paid to the training of elections organizers in  2013year , provided that the training process took place both in Moscow and locally, as well as to the coordination of cooperation between state authorities and local self-governments in the process of preparation of Single Voting Day.  

Sections «Documents of the CEC of Russia», «News of the CEC of Russia», «Actual subjects» regularly give information about regulations and legal acts approved by CEC of Russia connected with matters concerning the process of preparation and conduct of elections, meetings between organizers of elections and representatives of political parties, and decisions made at the meetings, important events organized by CEC of Russia or in which CEC of Russia took part.  

A corresponding section (banner)  meant for the purpose of keeping the parties informed  about the process of preparation of elections, is traditionally created on the Internet site of the CEC of Russia on the threshold of elections. A banner «Elections in the Russian Federation subjects, September 8, 2013» was created in 2013year  on which site information concerning the process of preparation and conduct of elections of deputies of state authorities of the Russian Federation subjects and local self-governments of municipal formations of administrative centers of the Russian Federation subjects,  was accumulated. The following Internet-services were organized on the Internet site of CEC of Russia at final stage of the process of preparation of elections: “Find your polling station” having given voters an opportunity  to get information on line about addresses of voting premises of polling stations at voters’ places of residence; “Find yourself in the list of voters” – in order to get information concerning registration of certain voters in the list of voters at a certain polling station.

Section “Political parties” giving access not only to a unique systemized information about actual status of the Russian political parties, but to an opportunity to do a comparative analysis in respect of the participation of political parties in the election process, may be interesting for representatives of the community of experts and scientific community, political parties, state authorities and certainly, for any citizen. I suggest that you should pay attention to series of informational and analytical bulletins “Regional elections and dynamics of parties”, and to  two publications of the reference book “Political parties in the Russian Federation. 2013 Year.” issued jointly by CEC of Russia, Ministry of Justice and political parties. It is planned to issue next issues of the said reference books which will be also placed on the Internet site.

Election  organizers in Russia  work with all classes of voters: young people, citizens with limited physical capabilities, military servicemen and etc.  Internet opportunities are used for the said purposes as well.  For example, information concerning the work with young and future voters  aimed at the improvement of knowledge of law and increase of interest towards the election process, information about the  events to be organized including events devoted to the Young voters’ day, about contests, competitions, quizzing games,  is placed on the Internet site of CEC of Russia and sites of regional election commissions.  CEC of Russia has developed “Electoral concept for young people for the period of  2014-2018» which will be started realizing in  2014.  You may get information about all events concerning the work with young people from sections «News of CEC of Russia», «News from regions»  and the special one («Section for young people»).

Cooperation with organizers of elections abroad is an important part of our activity. Information about elections conducted abroad and experts’ opinion is given in section  «International cooperation of CEC of Russia». Representatives of the Central election commission of the Russian Federation take part in elections abroad as members of international missions of observation (international observers), in particular, in 2013 they took part in international missions of control and escort of elections in Armenia, Venezuela, Mongolia, Philippines, Cambodia, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan. We also fulfilled remote monitoring of elections of deputies to German Parliament together with non-governmental organizations.

Cooperation of CEC of Russia with colleagues abroad seems to be fruitful. Thus, a meeting with the representatives of delegation of Central election commission for the elections and conduct of referendums in Republic of Kirghizia was held in April, 2013. In Moscow; and the Second conference with the State  election commission of Republic of Poland devoted to specific features of process of elections in Russia and  Poland, was held in May. Information about the events and their results are placed on our Internet site.

Representatives of CEC of Russia regularly take part in the activity of international organizations concerning the election process. For example, in 2013 we took part in the following events:  seminar on the introduction of internet voting to in Parliament election in Norway held in September;  Integration conference of the World’s association of election commissions held in Seoul (Republic of Korea) in October; and the 18th OSCE meeting for the consideration of fulfillment of obligations in the sphere of human development held in Warsaw (Poland) in October;   OSCE seminar on the analysis of election legislation and discussion of matters connected with election practice of OSCE member states held in Vienna (Austria) in November.  We think that participation of CEC of Russia in such events is exclusively beneficial; we are interested and always ready for the  professional dialogue with our colleagues from other countries.  

The process of preparation to a Single Voting Day (September 14, 2014.)  has started. Elections of higher officials (heads of higher executive bodies) and deputies of legislative (representation) state authorities of the Russian Federation subjects, heads of municipal formations and deputies of representation bodies of municipal formations of administrative centers of the Russian Federation subjects as well as elections of  bodies of local self-governments of regions, cities and village settlements  have been  planned.     

In 2014 we will hold four regional seminars (meetings) with chairmen of election commissions of the Russian Federation subjects within the framework of the process of preparation of new election campaigns; information about results of the said meetings may be  acquired from the materials placed on our Internet site.    

This year you’ll also get information about current events concerning the elections in Moscow and in the Russian Federation subjects,  about press-conferences, briefings,  business meetings and visits of the members of CEC of Russia and  officials of the commissions to regions,  which  will take place in 2014.   

New materials are being constantly added to section “Video-broadcasting of meetings of CEC of Russia”, containing not only materials connected with the meetings of the commission, multimedia-archives of video- and audio-materials connected with press-conferences, meetings, presentations of members of CEC of Russia on the TV and radio.   This section is being actively used for the purposes of the improvement of the voters’knowledge of law: a special link allows to play of video-materials and training materials of the Russian election technologies training center under  the  CEC of Russia.  

In 2014  we plan a broad presentation of key events aimed at the improvement of the process of cooperation between the Central election commission of the Russian Federation and political parties, public organizations, groups of voters within the same profession (military servicemen, police officers, representatives of  sector of education and other), as well as those concerning  the development of the knowledge of law and increase of electoral activity of voters.   

It is supposed that returns of Single Voting Day in the Russian Federation subjects will be  summarized and prospects of further activity will be determined at the All-Russia meeting with representatives of election commissions of the Russian Federation subjects in October,  2014.  I would like to draw your attention to the fact that we have already started preparing to the federal elections (which are  conducted within the period of 2016-2018)  in the end of 2013 year; this process will continue during the current year.

Dear Internet users! At present Internet site of the CEC of Russia is a recognized leader in respect of the scope of data collected on matters concerning elections and referendums in the Russian Federation. I hope that this data will be useful for you  as well as for your participation in elections. 

Welcome!

Vladimir Churov