SCO observers report high civic engagement in Russian State Duma elections

MOSCOW, September 21. /TASS/. Observers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), who monitored the elections to Russia’s State Duma, noted high civic engagement among voters; no complaints or issues were recorded, SCO Deputy Secretary-General Piao Yangfan has said.

"Mission members visited 47 polling stations. The mission notes the high level of civic engagement among voters, as well as the professionalism of precinct commission staff in organizing and conducting the elections of the 9th State Duma. Precinct commission members established all necessary conditions for the elections to take place, while adhering to principles of impartiality," she said at a briefing for foreign observers at the Central Election Commission.

"Voting proceeded calmly and in an organized manner, in compliance with established regulations and procedures. No complaints or issues were reported to mission representatives during the voting days," she added.

As Piao noted, mission members observed advanced technical equipment and technologies at polling stations that helped enhance the automation of the electoral process, improve the quality of monitoring, and increase convenience for voters.

Elections of the 9th State Duma took place during the three-day voting period from September 18 to 20. For the first time, residents of the Donbass and Novorossiya regions participated in the elections. Ten parties were included in the electoral lists for the federal constituency: United Russia, the CPRF, the LDPR, New People, A Just Russia, the Russian Party of Pensioners for Social Justice, Communists of Russia, Rodina, the Russian Ecological Party "The Greens," and the Party of Direct Democracy.

Concurrently, elections were held for the legislative assemblies of 39 regions, as well as for the heads of constituent entities of Russia: direct elections in eight regions and elections by regional parliaments in three. In total, approximately 23,000 seats were up for election.