MOSCOW, March 14. /TASS/. The collective West is now putting its energy into reducing voter turnout for the Russian presidential election, including through intimidation tactics, Russian Central Election Commission (CEC) member Igor Borisov said at a press conference at the TASS headquarters.

"Now all those who have been advocating for democracy, for the power of the people, are trying not to let them vote in a free election. They are even trying to disrupt turnout through various methods. For the first time, the West’s efforts are directed not only against the election itself, but also against the people’s right to determine their future. They are working on reducing turnout," he said.

Borisov added that the West has begun using intimidation tactics and other psychological methods here. He cited the situation when NATO instituted a high terrorist alert in Russian cities as an example, adding that these actions were meant as a threat to the citizens. Besides, the West urges Russians to implement their right to choose not by democratic means, but by "conducting some public actions," the CEC member continued.

"So, they use tactics that we had not seen before - intimidation," he said, adding that "the West intimidates even foreign observers and experts that are going to visit Russia as well." According to him, they do this in order not to let "the truth spill out."

The Russian Federation Council, or upper house of parliament, officially designated March 17, 2024 as the day of the presidential election. The Russian Central Election Commission (CEC) then announced that voting will take place over three days on March 15-17. Four candidates will vie for the top office, namely New People party nominee Vladislav Davankov; self-nominated candidate and incumbent President Vladimir Putin; Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) nominee Leonid Slutsky; and Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) nominee Nikolay Kharitonov.