OSCE observes ‘lack of level playing field=?UTF-8?B?4oCZ?= in Russian parliamentary polls

Despite the lack of a level playing field, Russian voters made use of their right to express their choice in parliamentary elections, observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said on Monday, according to RIA Novosti.

The governing United Russia party won 238 of 450 seats in Sunday’s elections to the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, a significant drop compared to the 315 seats it won in the 2007 elections.

OSCE observers noted that the preparations for the elections were technically “well-administered across a vast territory,” but marked by “a convergence of the state and the governing party,” limited political competition and a lack of fairness.  Read more... (378 words)

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