Campaign To Discredit Russian Elections Began Long Before September - Election Chief

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th August, 2021) The campaign to discredit the Russian elections began long before the coming September, but a politically blind or crafty person does not see or feel it, Central Election Commission (CEC) chairwoman Ella Pamfilova said in an interview with Sputnik.

"External unfavorable factors have become aggravated: a number of Western countries have 'designated' Russia as literally their enemy, an adversary from whom the main threat allegedly emanates for them. They continue to strangle us with sanctions, NATO is getting closer and closer to our borders, and Russia is blamed for practically everything 'bad' that happens in the world," Pamfilova said.

"In fact, the main 'fault' of Russia is that it defends its right to a policy independent of external dictate, proceeding from its national interests.

The conflict is increasingly reaching the level of ideological confrontation, and in all these battles elections become one of the main targets. The campaign to discredit them began long before the coming September, and only the politically blind or crafty person does not see or feel it," she added.

Voting to elect members of the Russian parliament's lower house and other elections on a single voting day will take place this year from September 17 to 19. The State Duma is elected for a five-year term under a mixed electoral system: 225 lawmakers are elected from party lists, and the remaining 225 from single-mandate Constituencies in one round.