VESHNYAKOV Alexander Albertovich

Alexander Albertovich Veshnyakov was born on November 24, 1952 in the village of Baikalovo, Primorsky District, Arkhangelsk Region.

Upon completion of the eighth grade he was enrolled in the Arkhangelsk Nautical School from which he graduated with honors. From 1973 to 1979 he worked for Northern Sea Shipping Company and acquired a degree in engineering having graduated from the Leningrad Higher Engineering Maritime College named after Admiral S. O. Makarov by correspondence.

In 1968, after finishing an eight-grade school he enrolled in the Arkhangelsk Maritime School, which he finished cum laude. From 1973 to 1979 he worked on ships of the Northern Sea Shipping Company and simultaneously studied at the Makarov Higher Engineering Marine College in Leningrad, where he received a higher engineering education.

In 1979 A.A. Veshnyakov was elected deputy secretary of the Komsomol Committee of the Northern Sea Shipping Company, then worked as chief inspector of the company's external shipping department. In 1983 he was elected deputy secretary of the CPSU Committee and, in 1985, secretary of the CPSU Committee of the Northern River Shipping Company.

From 1987 to 1990 he worked as secretary of the Arkhangelsk City CPSU Committee, was repeatedly elected deputy of the Arkhangelsk City Soviet of People's Deputies and completed a course of study at the Leningrad Higher Party School.

In March 1990 A.A. Veshnyakov was elected people's deputy of the RSFSR, then Deputy Chairman of the Council of the Republic of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR. Later on, he worked as chairman of the sub-commission of the Council of the Republic's Commission for Transport, Telecommunications, Information Technologies and Space Exploration. While working in the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR he was studying at the Diplomatic Academy of the Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation, majoring in "international law," and graduated from the Diplomatic Academy in 1995.

From November 1993 to March 1994 he worked as advisor at the Department of Sea Transport of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation.

In March 1994 A.A. Veshnyakov joined the staff of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation. In 1995 the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation appointed A.A. Veshnyakov member of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation which elected him as its secretary.. In 1999 the State Duma again appointed A.A. Veshnyakov as member of the CEC of Russia and in March 1999 he was unanimously elected Chairman of the Commission. In March 2003, by a presidential decree he was again appointed to serve on the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation and was unanimously elected Chairman of the CEC of Russia.

A.A. Veshnyakov took an active part in the work on and implementation of the conceptual approaches to the reform of the electoral laws of the Russian Federation, aimed at assuring electoral rights of citizens in accordance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation, establishment of federal standards of democratic elections mandatory for enforcement at all levels.

A.A. Veshnyakov was instrumental in the drafting of federal laws "On Political Parties" and "On the State Automated System of the Russian Federation 'Vybory'" which came into force in 2001 – 2004, in the submission and realization of the proposals for overall improvement and adoption of the new versions of the federal laws "On Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right of Citizens of the Russian Federation to Participate in a Referendum," "On the Election of Deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation," "On the Election of the President of the Russian Federation," the federal constitutional law "On the Referendum of the Russian Federation."

When these draft laws were submitted to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation by way of a legislative initiative A.A. Veshnyakov acted as an official representative of Russian Federation President V.V. Putin during their consideration by the chambers of the Federal Assembly.

A.A. Veshnyakov took part in the creation of a legal basis and conditions for participation of citizens residing in the Chechen Republic in the formation of the national and republican bodies of state power. In 2003, a referendum was held in the Chechen Republic on the adoption of the republican Constitution and electoral laws and the President of the Chechen Republic was elected.

A.A. Veshnyakov oversaw the creation and development of the State Automated System of the Russian Federation "Vybory" and the elaboration of the legal framework regulating its use and operation. He participated in the preparation and implementation of the "Program for the Development of GAS "Vybory" in 2002 – 2004" approved by the CEC of Russia.

A.A. Veshnyakov is an author of several scholarly works on the problems of international and electoral law and wrote numerous articles on the subject of elections and referendums published in periodicals. The Chairman of the CEC of Russia is an editor-in-chief and one of the authors of the manual for higher educational establishments "Electoral Law and Electoral Process in the Russian Federation," which was published in 2003.

In November 1999 A.A. Veshnyakov was elected to the Executive Council of the Association of Central and Eastern European Election Officials (ACEEEO) and acted as Chairman of this organization in 2002 – 2004.

The Draft European Convention on Election Standards, Electoral Rights and Freedoms prepared by the CEC of Russia within the framework of the ACEEEO was recommended by PACE and the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe for adoption as one of international law documents of the Council of Europe.

A.A. Veshnyakov initiated drafting of the Convention on the Standards of Democratic Elections, Electoral Rights and Freedoms in the Member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States," which entered into force in 2003..

In 1997 A.A. Veshnyakov defended a dissertation on "Electoral Standards in International Law and Their Realization in the Legislation of the Russian Federation" and received an academic degree of Candidate of Law.

A.A. Veshnyakov has been awarded the order "For the Services to the Fatherland" of the 3rd and the 4th degree, medals "To the Defender of Free Russia", "300 Years of the Russian Fleet," "In Commemoration of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow" and other medals.

In 2003 the personal contribution made by A.A. Veshnyakov to the development of the Russian democracy was marked by an all-Russian public award – the prize "Russian National Olympus" with the presentation of the "Order of Civil Honor."

A.A. Veshnyakov is a recipient of the Peter the Great national public award in the category "For Outstanding Personal Contribution to the Development of Democracy and Electoral System of the Russian Federation," the national prize "Person of the Year 2003," the Grand Prix award "For Personal Contribution to the Development of Russian Democracy" with the presentation of the order "Glory to Russia," the award of Russia's Union of Journalists "For Openness in Contacts with the Press," other public awards.

He is married with two children – a son and a daughter.