#19 - JRL 2006-133 - JRL Home
Political Parties Criticize Elimination Of 'Against All' Ballot Option

MOSCOW. June 9 (Interfax) - Union of Right Forces (SPS) federal political council Chairman Nikita Belykh has criticized the State Duma's decision to amend the electoral law in a way that would deprive the voters of the right to vote against all.

"I believe this decision continues the ruling party's general strategy toward depriving the people of any democratic choice at all," Belykh told journalists on Friday.

The United Russia party is fighting not only its competitors but also the protesting electorate, Belykh said.

Sergei Ivanenko, first deputy leader of the Yabloko party, also criticized the move.

"This is just another, although not a very big, step toward liquidating free elections, a step that expands the room for manipulation," Ivanenko said.

"United Russia and the government are doing everything in their interests because, with voter activity decreasing, they would spread propaganda to create the impression that they have colossal support," he said.

State Duma deputy Ivan Melnikov of the Communist Party faction said the elimination of the "against all" field in voting ballots would infringe upon the voters right to express an alternative view.

"This actually deprives the people of the right to mistrust politicians," Melnikov said in a statement circulated in Moscow on Friday.

Voting "against all" is quite popular in Russia, and the results of recent regional elections showed that the number of people voting this way has been increasing steadily, Melnikov said.