MOSCOW, July 6 (Itar-Tass) - The association in defense of the voters’ rights Golos has re-emerged under a new disguise - as a public movement pursuing the same objectives. Its constituent meeting was held in Moscow on Friday evening, one of the participants, former head of the NGO Gobos, Gregory Melkonyants, told Itar-Tass.
He said the movement was established without creating a legal entity and had the right to operate in that capacity under the law. As of next week it will start recruiting public observers and issue statements regarding elections. The movement’s council includes Andrei Buzin, Arkady Lyubarev, Roman Udot and Grigory Melkonyants.
“Next week we shall convene the constituent meeting of the new non-commercial organization - the fund called Golos, which will be accumulating cash resources and conducting election monitoring activities,” he said.
“The association Golos is to be liquidated. We do not have a director any more. I am not his deputy. There is only the liquidation commission,” Melkonyants said. The decision in favor of liquidation was made by the founders on June 26. The related documents have been sent to the tax inspectorate and other bodies of power already.
“The liquidation process may take 2-3 months, but the new movement will keep working,” he said.
The Justice Ministry on June 26 suspended the operation of the association in defense of the voters’ rights Golos after the association refused to have itself registered as a non-commercial organization performing the functions of a foreign agent.