Russia's Citizens Watch Urges People To Come To Polls On Election Day
Moscow, 28 September: The NGO for the protection of voting rights Citizens Watch (Russ: Grazhdanskiy Kontrol) argues against an appeal made by some opposition forces to boycott the upcoming State Duma election and is ready to take its activists to the streets to support the Russian citizens' participation in the parliamentary election campaign, it says in a statement by the organization's press service.
"We are prepared to defend the voting rights of the Russian citizens, including in open street rallies. In the run-up to the elections, together with fellow public organization, activists, young people, pensioners and all those who are not indifferent to the future of our country, we will take to the streets with an appeal to preserve the right of the Russian citizens to elect state authorities," executive director of the Citizens Watch Georgiy Fedorov said.
According to him, appeals by some opposition leaders to boycott the election are "dangerous attempts to prevent the Russian people from participation in real politics".
"What forces might be behind such calls? Paradoxically, they may play into the hands of those who will try to rig the election," he said. (passage omitted)
According to Fedorov, activists will distribute leaflets on the streets telling voters about their rights. Fedorov said that they would urge people to come to the polls. "You will not hear the names of existing or imaginary parties at our street actions," he said.
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