MOSCOW, August 31. /TASS/. A number of Western countries, including the US, are preparing to try to discredit Russia’s electoral system with regard to the upcoming 2024 presidential campaign, said Alexander Brod, member of the Russian Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights.
"As Unified Election Day draws near, serious preparations are being made to discredit the electoral system precisely with regard to the upcoming presidential campaign. This kind of external pressure is part of a hybrid confrontation with the countries of the so-called collective West, which is interested in destabilizing the political and social situation in Russia," Brod said at the Russian Civic Chamber’s roundtable, presenting a report by the Independent Public Monitoring association, titled "Phantoms of Lies: Information Attacks on Electoral System During 2023 Elections."
According to him, the picture of a future smear campaign is becoming clearer: it’s going to involve claims of illegitimacy, the excessive use of administrative resources and large-scale election rigging, as well as a subsequent refusal by Western countries and international organizations to recognize the outcome of the vote. "This smear campaign brings together a whole network of institutions, including bloggers and media outlets who use the Russian language to address anti-Russian audiences," Brod pointed out. When speaking about the countries taking part in these preparations, he named the United States, Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine.
The expert noted that the institute of public election monitoring was "the most important tool to counter information attacks and prevent violations of electoral legislation."
Russia’s Unified Election Day falls on September 10. The Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), as well as the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, will take part in the nationwide voting for the first time since joining the Russian Federation. More than 4,000 election campaigns are expected to take place across 85 of Russia’s 89 regions. As many as 21 regions will hold direct elections for top officials and 20 regions will vote on members of local legislative assemblies. Voters will choose the winners among candidates vying for over 34,000 political offices.