Russia's parliamentary elections, which the pro-Kremlin United Russia party won handsomely, were "not fair" and failed to meet international democratic standards, according to observers from two leading European organizations.The groups' scathing assessment Monday accused Russian authorities of "the merging of the state and a political party."
The election campaign "took place in an atmosphere which seriously limited political competition and with frequent abuse of administrative resources, media coverage strongly in favor of the ruling party, and an election code whose cumulative effect hindered political pluralism," said a joint statement by the parliamentary assemblies of the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. "The merging of the state and a political party is an abuse of power and a clear violation of international commitments and standards."
Russia is a member of both organizations, which promote democracy and human rights across the continent.
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