Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07MOSCOW5370
2007-11-13 16:45:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Moscow
Cable title:  

INITIAL GROUP OF RUSSIAN DUMA ELECTION OBSERVERS

Tags:  PREL KDEM OSCE RS 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO4963
OO RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHMRE RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHMO #5370 3171645
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 131645Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5203
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNOSC/OSCE POST COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 005370 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/13/2017
TAGS: PREL KDEM OSCE RS
SUBJECT: INITIAL GROUP OF RUSSIAN DUMA ELECTION OBSERVERS
FROM ODIHR ARRIVE

REF: STATE 153123

Classified By: Ambassador William J. Burns. Reasons: 1.4 (b, d).

Summary
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 005370

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/13/2017
TAGS: PREL KDEM OSCE RS
SUBJECT: INITIAL GROUP OF RUSSIAN DUMA ELECTION OBSERVERS
FROM ODIHR ARRIVE

REF: STATE 153123

Classified By: Ambassador William J. Burns. Reasons: 1.4 (b, d).

Summary
--------------


1. (C) Deputy Foreign Minister Yakovenko claimed to
Ambassador November 12 that the GOR would invite the 70 ODIHR
observers as it had promised and in the timeframe promised,
and would expedite visa issuance. In a November 13
conversation (septel),Presidential Administration Deputy
Vladislav Surkov expressed the same sentiments to the
Ambassador. The Central Elections Commission (CEC) told us
November 13 that several of the ODIHR observers have already
arrived and that the CEC is currently reviewing an additional
10-15 applications for certification that it had received
from ODIHR. ODIHR Mission Head, former Slovenian Foreign
Minister Boris Frlec, arrived November 12 but will leave
November 16 after meetings with representatives from the CEC
and the Foreign Ministry. End summary.


2. (C) Ambassador made reftel demarche on November 12 to
Deputy Foreign Minister Yakovenko and on November 13 to
President Administration Deputy Vladislav Surkov, emphasizing
U.S. concern about GOR limitations on OSCE election issues.
Both expressed irritation at PACE and other public criticism
of the GOR. but asserted that the GOR would invite the 70
ODIHR observers it had agreed to on the time table that it
had set for their arrival, and provide the visas
expeditiously. Publicly, the GOR took a harder line,
accusing the OSCE in a November 13 MFA statement of
attempting to politicize the invitations of foreign observers
to elections, and noting that ODIHR had only recently
requested accreditation for election monitoring.


3. (SBU) Andrey Davydov, Director of the International
Relations Department at the CEC told us November 13 that four
members of the ODIHR observer team for the December 2 Russian
Duma elections have already arrived and that the CEC is
currently reviewing an additional 10 - 15 applications for
certification that it had received from ODIHR. Davydov said
that he expected no problems with the applications. Once the
CEC had approved the applications, the MFA would be informed
and the MFA, in turn, would tell the appropriate Russian
Embassy abroad to issue the visa.


4. (SBU) With the initial group of observers is the head of
the ODIHR Mission, former Slovenian Foreign Minister Boris
Frlec. The Slovenian Embassy in Moscow confirmed that Frlec
had arrived November 12 and would stay until November 16.
During his initial short stay, Frlec was planning
consultations with CEC and Foreign Ministry representatives.
BURNS