The United States has expressed regret that restrictions on the epidemiological situation will not allow the OSCE to observe the State Duma elections, said State Department spokesman Ned Price.
“The United States regrets that the restrictions imposed by the Russian authorities will not allow the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly to independently monitor the Duma elections in September,” Price said.
He added that Washington respects the decision of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) that “reliable and independent monitoring” has become impossible due to restrictive measures on COVID-19 in Russia.
“Although OSCE observers will not be able to attend, the international community will monitor the Duma elections, both before and on election day, to determine whether the conditions for free and fair elections are conducive. Russia cannot escape international attention, “Price concluded.
Russia has invited European organizations to observe the vote on September 17-19. However, the number of observers in the pandemic was limited to 50 for the OSCE and 10 for its Parliamentary Assembly. After that, the organization stated that it would not observe the parliamentary elections in Russia due to demands to reduce the number of its representatives.