#17 - JRL 7282
BBC Monitoring
Russia's elections chief fields awkward questions about
forthcoming polls
Source: Ren TV, Moscow, in Russian 1730 gmt 7 Aug 03
The chairman of Russia's Central Electoral Commission, Aleksandr Veshnyakov, faced tough questioning in a live TV interview. Reacting to the suggestion that the constitutional referendum in Chechnya must have been rigged, Veshnyakov pledged that his commission would do its utmost to make sure the Chechen presidential election due on 5 October is free and fair. He said the separatist leader, Aslan Maskhadov, would be allowed to stand, provided he presents his registration documents in person. The same would apply to exiled tycoon Boris Berezovskiy if he wished to be a candidate in the Russian presidential election. Veshnyakov rejected the idea of postponing this election, calling it a "PR stunt". He also urged all citizens to exercise their right to vote. The following is the text of the interview broadcast by Russian Ren TV on 7 August:
[Presenter Yuliya Latynina] The head of Russia's Central Electoral Commission [CEC], Aleksandr Veshnyakov, is in our studio. Good evening, Aleksandr Albertovich.
[Veshnyakov] Good evening, Yuliya.
[Presenter] My first question is this. Every time Russia approaches parliamentary or presidential elections, we hear calls for the elections to be postponed. This time too, the New Russia party - a pro-presidential party, incidentally - has proposed that the parliamentary elections be postponed, that they be held at the same time as the presidential elections. What do you think of this idea?
[Veshnyakov] Well, I regard it as a PR stunt by an individual group of persons who call themselves a party.
[Presenter] In other words, the president does not support this idea?
[Veshnyakov] Nobody supports it. In fact, it is a completely irresponsible statement because it does not have any legal basis whatsoever. Furthermore, this could not be done without violating the constitution of the Russian Federation and the laws of the Russian Federation, as adopted by the State Duma and the Federation Council and signed by the president.
[Presenter] And another proposal has been put forward. The speaker of the Federation Council, [Sergey] Mironov, has proposed that members of the Federation Council be elected rather than appointed. What is your view of this idea?
[Veshnyakov] It is a good idea. I am prepared to support it.
[Presenter] And when will the first elections to the Federation Council be held?
[Veshnyakov] When a corresponding law has been adopted by our legislators, in other words the State Duma and the Federation Council, and it has been signed by the president of Russia. As I see it, this cannot happen any earlier than 2005, even under this initiative.
[Presenter] The most important elections which are in the offing are, no doubt, in Chechnya. There is one very strange thing which we have observed. At the referendum 97 per cent, I think, of the inhabitants of the republic voted for the constitution. Then after the referendum was over, terrorist attacks started happening - which I don't think are possible without support from the population. So, if you don't mind my saying so, one gets the impression that the figures in this referendum were inflated. How can the CEC make sure that the elections in Chechnya will be fair and unbiased?
[Veshnyakov] I think this question can be resolved, first and foremost by following the law on the election of the president of the Chechen Republic, as adopted by the people of the Chechen Republic, by sending observers, representing every candidate and every political party, to every polling station. We at the CEC are prepared to take part and help in this. This will create conditions in which nobody will be able to do things which violate the law. Anybody who tries to do this will be taken in hand and stopped promptly. We are geared to work towards this, and we call on all candidates and political parties to do the same.
[Presenter] Can [rebel leader Aslan] Maskhadov take part in the elections?
[Veshnyakov] If he has handed in his registration documents, as envisaged by the law, he is entitled to take part in the elections. He is not a citizen who is serving a jail sentence imposed by a court.
[Presenter] But, all the same, in order to hand in documents as envisaged by the law, Maskhadov would have to present himself in person and hand over the documents.
[Veshnyakov] Yes, of course.
[Presenter] When he would be arrested.
[Veshnyakov] So what? Even if they do arrest him, he would still take part in the elections because the court would not have met by then. A court would have to investigate all the circumstances of the accusations which have been levelled against him. After all, there have been examples in the past of citizens held on remand either participating in voting, voting for various candidates, or nominating themselves as candidates. There have been instances of this in Russia, and there will continue to be such instances because our constitution does not prohibit this.
[Presenter] There is another person who is in a similar position to Maskhadov, namely Mr [Boris] Berezovskiy. Can he take part in the elections?
[Veshnyakov] The same answer applies, especially as I have heard that he actually wants to take part in the State Duma election. Mr Berezovskiy should please feel free to take part, in accordance with the election regulations which exist in Russia.
[Presenter] So, once again, he has to come and present his registration documents in person?
[Veshnyakov] My responsibility, in this instance, is to ensure that the citizen's rights to take part in an election are upheld. And they can see that this happens by complying with the laws on elections in the Russian Federation.
[Presenter] Under the new legislation, a candidate who forges lists of signatures can be jailed for up to four years. Isn't it the case that a candidate who suits the authorities will never receive such a jail term? This is merely a way of weeding out candidates whom the authorities don't care for.
[Veshnyakov] That is not quite what the criminal code says, although this does now specify penalties for the falsification, forging of lists of signatures. When this is done, as a conspiracy, by a group formed for the purpose, criminal prosecution can follow. I am convinced that criminal proceedings will inevitably be taken against any group which is shown to have engaged in this.
[Presenter] Aleksandr Albertovich, my last question is this. Democracy is said to be the worst form of rule, apart from all the rest. So, this is a philosophical question. Does the existing electoral system really allow the people to take part in voting?
[Veshnyakov] Yes.
[Presenter] To express their will?
[Veshnyakov] Yes. It does. But a lot depends on the people, on the electors themselves. They should want to take part in this. We do not have a system of compulsory voting in our country. It is voluntary. But it has to be clearly understood that if you do not take part in the formation of government, it means that the government forms itself without you, without your point of view. This is dangerous because, ultimately, the government decides fundamental issues in our lives, and especially in our state. So, please draw the right conclusion from this, esteemed electors, as the forthcoming elections approach. Either we vote and stop those whom we do not want coming to power. Or we don't vote. And then these processes will go ahead without us.
[Presenter] Thank you for coming into the studio. I remind you that the guest in our studio was Aleksandr Veshnyakov, the head of Russia's CEC.
[Video shows Veshnyakov being interviewed live in the studio.]
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