Moscow (TDI): The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Observer Mission has started monitoring Russia’s State Duma elections, with the mission’s head, SCO Deputy Secretary-General Piao Yangfan, holding meetings with Russian election officials and authorities ahead of the three-day vote.
On Wednesday, Piao met with Russian Central Election Commission Chair Ella Pamfilova, who briefed the SCO delegation on preparations for the elections and measures aimed at ensuring the openness, transparency, accessibility and security of the electoral process.
Pamfilova thanked the SCO for participating in international election observation and said the Central Election Commission was ready to facilitate the mission’s work.
Piao, in turn, thanked the Russian side for providing conditions for the mission and noted the importance of the elections to Russia’s political life.
Piao also held talks at Russia’s Foreign Ministry with Ambassador-at-Large Alexey Avdeev and Boris Khakimov, Special Representative of the Russian President for SCO Affairs.
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The discussions focused on arrangements for the observer mission and its interaction with Russian authorities during the elections.
On Thursday, Piao met Commonwealth of Independent States Secretary-General Sergei Lebedev to exchange views on international election observation and cooperation between the SCO and CIS.
Later that day, Piao held a working meeting with members of the SCO Observer Mission representing the organization’s member states.
During the meeting, members were briefed on the mission’s responsibilities, legal framework, operating principles and organizational arrangements for the election observation.
According to the SCO, the mission will conduct its work objectively, impartially and independently, while observing Russian legislation and the principle of non-interference in the country’s internal affairs. The SCO has maintained formal procedures for election observation missions since 2004, with their work based on monitoring, official information and material provided by election authorities and relevant government agencies.
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Voting in Russia’s State Duma elections is taking place from September 18 to 20, with the current election being the first parliamentary vote since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The SCO Observer Mission will continue monitoring preparations and voting throughout the election period.
