Promo-LEX: Decision to Reduce the Number of Polling Station in Russia Raises Questions

Promo-LEX representative Nicolae Panfil believes that the authorities’ decision to open only two stations in Russia instead of five could become a dangerous precedent and shows a lack of communication and trust between institutions. According to the expert, without any clear arguments, this decision raises questions, moldova1.md reports. “This is a very sensitive topic and it can be easily politicized without too much argument, without too much detail from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the SIS. Suspicions arise that the claims about the lack of people for the other three polling stations are not fully justified. Let us remind you that this was not Kursk or other regions close to the war zone, it was St. Petersburg and other more remote areas. This is difficult to explain, and I think the Foreign Ministry and the SIS should give strict explanations,” Panfil said. According to the expert, the security concerns expressed were not convincing enough, so the authorities’ decision could become a dangerous case. “Every time the argument will be made that we don’t have the capabilities, we don’t have the people, etc. At the same time, we must remember that security is and must be a priority. There may be nuances in each individual case. In this context, we reiterate the importance of open and transparent communication between institutions so that it is clear why and under what conditions polling stations opened or did not open in a country. Given that we have a large number of citizens in the Russian Federation, I think the authorities should have been much more open, much more transparent. If there are certain circumstances that cannot ensure optimal security conditions for the conduct of the electoral process, we should know what they are. After all, this decision can certainly affect the electoral process, and it can give rise to certain perceptions that are not necessarily true, that the decisions were politically influenced, etc.,” the expert added. We shall remind you that the day before, the CEC announced that it had destroyed 26,000 ballot papers that were to be sent to polling stations in Russia for the presidential election and the republican constitutional referendum. The decision came after the Foreign Ministry had maintained its recommendation to open only two polling stations - both in Moscow - citing security concerns based on the opinion of the SIS.