MOSCOW, March 15. /TASS/. Journalists with fake accreditations have appeared at polling stations in St. Petersburg and some other regions, Ella Pamfilova, the chair of the Central Election Commission, has said at a meeting at the CEC information center.
"In St. Petersburg and some regions there have appeared persons with fake media accreditations. These imposters ostensibly representing civil initiatives are trying to carry out illegal actions," she said.
According to Pamfilova, there have been cases of voters from other regions trying to cast ballots away from their registered addresses.
"There are many foreign media. Apparently, something is being prepared, some kind of provocation. I think that the colleagues will be on guard. One more thing: warn everyone that there have been phone calls allegedly from the national guard Rosgvardiya that the alarm button is being checked. False instructions may be given to push the button. Avoid this by all means. Warn everyone," she added.
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 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.