08 September 2003, 19:22
A day before presidential election in Karachaevo-Cherkessia voter's aye cost 600 rubles
Some breaches of the Federal Law "About Principal Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right of the Citizens of the Russian Federation to Participate in a Referendum" and the Law of Karachaevo-Cherkessia "About Elections of the President of the Republic of Karachaevo-Cherkessia" were revealed and fixed during the preparation and holding of the presidential election in Karachaevo-Cherkessia. Mass subornation of voters by candidate Mustafa Batdyev were fixed during the first round of the election, reported Mikhail Arutyunov, the President of the International Assembly for Human Rights Protection, international observer accredited by the Russian Central Election Commission.
According to his words, before the election a voter's aye cost 300 rubles, and a day before the election its price doubled. All electoral and agitational materials, posters in support of Batdyev's candidacy were put away neither the day before nor the very day of the election. There were also other breaches that Arutyunov reported about. "It is a pity but no efficient and opportune measures were taken to eliminate those breaches, Arutyunov said. Moreover, the chairman of the Russian Central Election Commission announced there had been no serious breaches during the presidential election in Karachaevo-Cherkessia, which raises doubts if he was impartially informed or if he was unbiased."
Source: Social Infromation Agency
