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Much attention in our country is paid to the development of state-of-art information technologies. Providing citizens with access to them is one of the key fields of national policy.
A special place among them is taken by technologies allowing to ensure the utmost level of openness of state authorities. For this very purpose the Federal law of 9 February, 2009 No.8-FZ “On Provision of Access to Information on Activities of State Authorities and Bodies of Local Self-Government” was adopted, effective since 1 January, 2010.
The Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation has done extensive job to bring its official website to compliance with requirements of new legislation – to implement basic principles of informing citizens stipulated in the given law, to ensure openness and availability of information, its fullness and reliability.
We pay great attention to the information content of the website. Sections “News of the CEC of Russia” and “News from Regions” are updated daily. Interesting and useful materials are published in the “Relevant Topics” section. The site includes: information on carried out and forthcoming election campaigns, legislative acts on elections and referenda, texts of regulations of the CEC of Russia, information on political parties and other materials.
The Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation places great emphasis on processing citizens’ applications. For instance, there is a form published on the site for receiving applications from citizens in online mode, applications of citizens submitted to the CEC of Russia and replies to them are published in a special section.
A special resource was developed for visually impaired users. Similar resources are created on websites of election commissions of Subjects of the Russian Federation.
On 14 March, 2010, the single voting day was held: elections on that day were carried out in 76 Subjects of the Russian Federation. Deputies of legislative (representative) state authorities were elected in eight Subjects of the Russian Federation, deputies of representative bodies of municipal formations of administrative centers were elected in eight Subjects of the Russian Federation, heads of municipal formations of administrative centers were elected in five Subjects of the Russian Federation. Totally, over 6,200 elections and local referenda were held on that day. 40.5 thousand vacant mandates were contested by over 85 thousand registered candidates. To carry out such a number of elections, over 30 thousand precinct election commissions were formed; around 225 thousand members of election commissions with full voting status were appointed to commissions.
The CEC of Russia registers growth of interest of citizens in regional and local elections. For instance, compared to previous similar elections, turnout indications increased in six out of eight Subjects of the Russian Federation, where elections of regional parliaments were carried out, in four out of five cities of administrative centers of Subjects of the Russian Federation, where heads of municipal formations were elected.
Basic aspects of political modernization of the country are contained in Appeals of the President of the Russian Federation D.A. Medvedev to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. It is already the second year the CEC of Russia participates in reforming the election system subject to provisions of presidential appeals, now implementation of basic provisions of the 2009 Appeal is underway.
With participation of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, a bill was prepared to ensure guarantees equality of political parties represented in legislative (representative) state authorities of Subjects of the Russian Federation, during coverage of their activities by regional television and radio channels. A similar law came into force on federal level in May 2009. Information on registration of airtime spent on coverage of activities of each parliamentary party in nationwide TV and radio programs and regional TV and radio programs, is regularly published in a special section of our website.
Issues of technical assistance for political competition were set up in the President’s Appeal in November 2009 and discussed at a session of the State Council dedicated to issues of political development of the country.
It is not the first year when new technologies are used while carrying out single voting days. On 14 March, during an election of deputies of the regional Duma of the Ryazan Region, approbation of a technology applying specific promising software and hardware tools was organized: a modernized complex of processing voters’ ballots, a developmental prototype of workplace of precinct election commission (with application of an electronic digital subscription), as well as tests of GLONASS technology for control over movements of election documentation, video surveillance and visual broadcasting means. During an election of deputies of the Tula municipal Duma, complexes of processing voters’ ballots were used in standard operation mode in 220 polling stations. In several Subjects of the Russian Federation, web cameras were used in the area. Approbation of the mentioned technologies was found successful and promising.
The CEC of Russia has planned consultations with chairpersons of election commissions of the Subjects of the Russian Federation dedicated to relevant issues of commissions’ activities. For instance, during the consultation held on 25 February, 2010, aspects of registration of voters were discussed, as well as composition and specification of voter lists. This topic is one of the most important for us. During a long period of time, promotion of accuracy in voter lists is a key field of activities of the CEC of Russia. And our efforts give tangible results – from election to election, “discard” in lists decreases.
The CEC of Russia has started active preparation for the single voting day on 10 October, 2010.
On 21–22 April of the current year, a meeting will be held in Moscow with representatives of election commissions of Subjects of the Russian Federation belonging to the Central, South and North Caucasian federal districts. Within May and June of 2010, two more several meetings will be held with representatives of election commissions of other Subjects of the Russian Federation.
Preparation for the single voting day on 10 October, 2010 is expected to be quite challenging – based on preliminary data, deputies of legislative (representative) state authorities will be elected in five Subjects of the Russian Federation (the Republic of Tyva, Belgorod, Kostroma, Magadan and Novosibirsk regions), deputies representative bodies of municipal formations of administrative centers in 13 Subjects of the Russian Federation (Magadan, Tomsk, Izhevsk, Kazan, Orenburg, Kostroma, Nizhniy Novgorod, Cheboksary, Samara, Tambov, Kaluga, Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar), and heads of formations of administrative centers in two Subjects of the Russian Federation (Orenburg and Samara regions).
I would like to specifically focus on our exhibition activities. In the nearest future, we are planning to organize two very important and very interesting expositions. One of them is dedicated to the election of people’s deputies in the RSFSR carried out on 4 March, 1990 – an important milestone in the development of the Russian state system. As exhibits, the exposition will feature documents and materials from funds of leading Russian museums and biggest archives.
However, the most important event of this year not only for this country, but for the whole world as well is the 65th Anniversary of the victory in the World War II. Representatives of armed forces of ally countries of the anti-Hitler coalition are planning to take part in the parade on the Red Square on 9 May – the victory in that war was the result of joint effort. A large exposition in the CEC of Russia dedicated to the 65th Anniversary of the Great Victory will feature many interesting exhibits, including those from my family collection.
Dear guests of the website of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation!
I greet you on the 65th Anniversary of the Great Victory!
I hope than the website of the CEC of Russia will become your source of complete and relevant information on elections in the Russian Federation. Welcome!
Vladimir Churov
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