«« Пред. | ОГЛАВЛЕНИЕ
Responsibility For Violation of Electoral Rights of Citizens
The new Federal Law adequately balances the rights and duties of election commissions, candidates, electoral associations, electoral blocs, other participants in the electoral process. The responsibility for violation of electoral rights of citizens will be borne without any exceptions by members of election commissions of all levels, heads of state bodies and bodies of local self-government, authorized representatives of electoral associations, electoral blocs, heads of mass media.
For instance, the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation establishes criminal responsibility for prevention of citizens from exercising their electoral rights or for interference with the work of election commissions. The persons who may be prosecuted for these offences include members of a precinct election commission, heads of local administration, observers sent to a polling station by an electoral association on voting day.
This legal act realizes the idea of inexorable punishment. Violation of practically any norm of the law will bring inevitable punishment on the offender. The most serious punishment established by the Federal Law itself is the refusal to register a federal list of candidates or cancellation of its registration. We have already spoken about this above.
The Criminal Code of the Russian Federation establishes criminal responsibility for prevention of citizens from exercising their electoral rights or for interference with the work of election commissions (Article 141) and for falsification of electoral documents, incorrect vote counting, breach of voting secrecy (Article 142).
The RSFSR Code of Administrative Offences establishes administrative responsibility for dissemination of false information about a candidate (Article 403), for violation of the rights of an election commission member and an observer (Article 404), for an employer’s refusal to grant a leave of absence for participation in elections (Article 407), for production and dissemination of anonymous propaganda materials (Article 409), for the failure to file a report on the expenditure of the resources of an electoral fund ((Article 4011) and for other offences.
On the basis of Clause 2 Article 93 of the Federal Law any election commission (from the Central Election Commission of Russia to a precinct election commission) may draw up a protocol of an administrative offence committed by a candidate, an authorized representative of an electoral association, an observer or other persons.
In the course of the elections you must try to bring home to each of your assistants a simple idea that strict observance of the Federal Law will reliably guarantee them against committing any unlawful acts which may call into question further participation of the electoral association, electoral bloc in the election campaign.
Dear colleagues,
The forthcoming parliamentary elections are in a way a review of Russia’s political forces, political preferences of citizens of the Russian Federation. Figuratively speaking, today All-Russian political public associations stand ready for a «sowing campaign,» and the fate of Russia in the next millenium will depend on how deep you will plough fertile Russian soil and what seeds - those of hatred and enmity or kindness and mutual understanding - you will plant in this soil.
Do not fall short of what the Russian people expect from you!
Thank you.
«« Пред. | ОГЛАВЛЕНИЕ
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