Russians go to the polls
Russian president Vladimir Putin may be one of the most intriguing statesmen the world has seen in a long time, and on yesterday, Russian citizens went go to the polls in the country's presidential election. Namibian Sun sat down with the Russian ambassador to Namibia, Valeri Utkin, to talk about...
Namibian Sun (NS): Mr Ambassador, on Sunday Russians will go to the polls in the presidential election… please elaborate on this event?
Valeri Utkin (VU): The elections of the president of the Russian Federation are to be held on 18 March in all our territories, and abroad. It is a major domestic political event.
The priority is to fully ensure the constitutional right of citizens for the free democratic expression of their will and fair elections. Strict observance of the law is the basis of the legitimacy of the state power and the guarantee of citizens' confidence.
A substantive part of electorate, including overseas voters, took part in the early voting. To exercise this right a person should present proof of Russian citizenship at the polling station.
NS: How does the nomination process work?
VU: The president is directly elected for a term of six years. Political parties represented in the State Duma can nominate a candidate to run for the office while candidates from officially registered political parties that are not represented in the parliament have to collect at least 100 000 signatures.
Independent candidates have to collect at least 300 000 signatures with no more than 7 500 from each federal region of Russia and also from action groups made up of at least 500 people. This year the Russian Central Electoral Commission (CEC) registered eight candidates for the election to the country's highest office.
The list includes the incumbent president of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin as an independent candidate; the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky; the Communist Party nominee and businessman Pavel Grudinin; one of the founders of Yabloko party Grigory Yavlinsky; Ksenia Sobchak of the Civil Initiative party; Maksim Suraikin of the Communists of Russia Party; Boris Titov of the Party of Growth; and Sergei Baburin, the leader of the Russian All-People's Union and former Deputy Speaker of Russia's State Duma.
NS: Explain the voting process.
VU: If in the first round no candidate attains an absolute majority of the votes (more than half), then a second round will take place exactly three weeks later, on 8 April 2018.
NS: Does the CEC invite international observers to monitor the forthcoming elections?
VU: It is a very good question. I should tell you that there is an unprecedented interest from observers in the forthcoming presidential election in Russia. We extended invitations to many foreign countries, including Namibia, and international organisations. Many of them will send their observers. The representatives of at least 52 foreign embassies in Moscow will observe the electoral procedures, with the total number of applications from diplomatic missions already tripling that in the 2016 State Duma election. Foreign embassies in Moscow have asked to be included in the lists of observers. If there were 20 people in the elections to the State Duma in 2016, there are presently 60 of them out of 52 embassies. According to experts, the number of applications will further increase.
NS: Could you explain how your expats will vote?
VU: Russia has accumulated a serious experience in this sphere. It refers to the best electoral practices of the 21st century, representing an effective implementation of constitutional and international standards. This experience is based on the principles of legitimacy, competition, ensuring the political rights of Russian citizens who are outside the country.
The CEC plays the central coordinating role in this process. It has developed necessary regulatory tools. In accordance with federal law, the commission adopted important recommendations on organising voting at polling stations established outside the country; clarification of the procedure for the activities of foreign (international) observers; methodical recommendations on ensuring the implementation of electoral rights of servicemen and law enforcement officers; a decree on the unified numbering of polling stations established outside the territory of the Russian Federation.
According to the foreign affairs ministry, about 2 million Russian citizens are registered as voters outside the country. Add to this number, individuals who on voting day will be abroad temporarily for various reasons. Based on this, a decision was taken to establish 382 polling stations abroad.
NS: Do you plan to organise voting for Russian citizens residing in this country?
VU: We have already held voting in Swakopmund on Saturday and in Walvis Bay on Sunday. Another round of early voting will take place in Oshakati on 14 March and on our election day on 18 March, a polling station will be opened at the embassy of the Russian Federation in Windhoek from 08:00 to 20:00. We expect that the voter turnout will be remarkable.
NS: How do you suppose the outcome of the elections will influence bilateral relations and cooperation between Namibia and Russia?
VU: It is widely known that Russia attaches a lot of significance to our warm and friendly relations with Namibia, which is our reliable and time-tested partner.
Our Namibian friends remember very well, and we appreciate it, that during the liberation struggle in Namibia we supported Namibian patriots who fought bravely under the guidance of Swapo.
Our present day relations in many spheres, from the economy to culture, are based on this solid foundation, which has consolidated friendship and mutual respect between our nations. Bilateral economic cooperation between our countries is well coordinated by the Russian-Namibian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation. The most recent meeting of this Commission adopted practical and useful decisions in mining, agriculture, energy, fisheries and tourism as well as personnel training. The eighth meeting of the Commission will be held this year to discuss these promising partnership trends. In my view, our bilateral relations have successfully stood the test of time and will prosper in future.
I am confident that after the presidential elections in Russia, the relations of friendship and cooperation between our two countries will continue to expand and deepen.
YANNA SMITH
Valeri Utkin (VU): The elections of the president of the Russian Federation are to be held on 18 March in all our territories, and abroad. It is a major domestic political event.
The priority is to fully ensure the constitutional right of citizens for the free democratic expression of their will and fair elections. Strict observance of the law is the basis of the legitimacy of the state power and the guarantee of citizens' confidence.
A substantive part of electorate, including overseas voters, took part in the early voting. To exercise this right a person should present proof of Russian citizenship at the polling station.
NS: How does the nomination process work?
VU: The president is directly elected for a term of six years. Political parties represented in the State Duma can nominate a candidate to run for the office while candidates from officially registered political parties that are not represented in the parliament have to collect at least 100 000 signatures.
Independent candidates have to collect at least 300 000 signatures with no more than 7 500 from each federal region of Russia and also from action groups made up of at least 500 people. This year the Russian Central Electoral Commission (CEC) registered eight candidates for the election to the country's highest office.
The list includes the incumbent president of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin as an independent candidate; the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky; the Communist Party nominee and businessman Pavel Grudinin; one of the founders of Yabloko party Grigory Yavlinsky; Ksenia Sobchak of the Civil Initiative party; Maksim Suraikin of the Communists of Russia Party; Boris Titov of the Party of Growth; and Sergei Baburin, the leader of the Russian All-People's Union and former Deputy Speaker of Russia's State Duma.
NS: Explain the voting process.
VU: If in the first round no candidate attains an absolute majority of the votes (more than half), then a second round will take place exactly three weeks later, on 8 April 2018.
NS: Does the CEC invite international observers to monitor the forthcoming elections?
VU: It is a very good question. I should tell you that there is an unprecedented interest from observers in the forthcoming presidential election in Russia. We extended invitations to many foreign countries, including Namibia, and international organisations. Many of them will send their observers. The representatives of at least 52 foreign embassies in Moscow will observe the electoral procedures, with the total number of applications from diplomatic missions already tripling that in the 2016 State Duma election. Foreign embassies in Moscow have asked to be included in the lists of observers. If there were 20 people in the elections to the State Duma in 2016, there are presently 60 of them out of 52 embassies. According to experts, the number of applications will further increase.
NS: Could you explain how your expats will vote?
VU: Russia has accumulated a serious experience in this sphere. It refers to the best electoral practices of the 21st century, representing an effective implementation of constitutional and international standards. This experience is based on the principles of legitimacy, competition, ensuring the political rights of Russian citizens who are outside the country.
The CEC plays the central coordinating role in this process. It has developed necessary regulatory tools. In accordance with federal law, the commission adopted important recommendations on organising voting at polling stations established outside the country; clarification of the procedure for the activities of foreign (international) observers; methodical recommendations on ensuring the implementation of electoral rights of servicemen and law enforcement officers; a decree on the unified numbering of polling stations established outside the territory of the Russian Federation.
According to the foreign affairs ministry, about 2 million Russian citizens are registered as voters outside the country. Add to this number, individuals who on voting day will be abroad temporarily for various reasons. Based on this, a decision was taken to establish 382 polling stations abroad.
NS: Do you plan to organise voting for Russian citizens residing in this country?
VU: We have already held voting in Swakopmund on Saturday and in Walvis Bay on Sunday. Another round of early voting will take place in Oshakati on 14 March and on our election day on 18 March, a polling station will be opened at the embassy of the Russian Federation in Windhoek from 08:00 to 20:00. We expect that the voter turnout will be remarkable.
NS: How do you suppose the outcome of the elections will influence bilateral relations and cooperation between Namibia and Russia?
VU: It is widely known that Russia attaches a lot of significance to our warm and friendly relations with Namibia, which is our reliable and time-tested partner.
Our Namibian friends remember very well, and we appreciate it, that during the liberation struggle in Namibia we supported Namibian patriots who fought bravely under the guidance of Swapo.
Our present day relations in many spheres, from the economy to culture, are based on this solid foundation, which has consolidated friendship and mutual respect between our nations. Bilateral economic cooperation between our countries is well coordinated by the Russian-Namibian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation. The most recent meeting of this Commission adopted practical and useful decisions in mining, agriculture, energy, fisheries and tourism as well as personnel training. The eighth meeting of the Commission will be held this year to discuss these promising partnership trends. In my view, our bilateral relations have successfully stood the test of time and will prosper in future.
I am confident that after the presidential elections in Russia, the relations of friendship and cooperation between our two countries will continue to expand and deepen.
YANNA SMITH
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