ADMINISTRATION OF THE YAMALO-NENETS AUTONOMOUS DISTRICT

21.12.2000 | 2331-ÇÇ

Transnational Radical Party

Moscow office

Pechatnikov per.6,

103045 Moscow, Russia

Dear Mrs. Zaytseva and Mr. Khramov,

We share your concern about the development of political processes in Russia. In fact, in contemporary conditions of forming the political system a considerable attention should be paid to the organization of the electoral process, its institutes, democratic procedures and guarantees of electoral rights of the citizens and social and political unions to the real participation in the elections and the control of activities of the electedbodies. The democracy is unrealizable beyond the electoral process.

Meanwhile, the experience of the reforms in contemporary Russia shows that a mechanical transfer of western democratic patterns doesn't lead to desirable results. When evaluating the influence of the election system on the system of political organization of the society it should be taken into consideration that there doesn't exist a perfect election system: each of known systems has its advantages and disadvantages.

The mixed election system applied at the elections to the State Duma of the Russian Federation has proved to be constitutional and has been repeatedly applied at practice. It seems to be able to reflect political preferences of the citizens of the Russian Federation and to take into consideration traditions and political reality.

At the same time, in our opinion, there are reserves for perfection of essential elements of the election system. In the first place it concerns the determination of the status of political parties, improvement of general legal and professional culture of different categories of the participants of the electoral process, more definite regulation of information component of election campaigns, guarantees of citizens' rights and a wide public control.

Unfortunately, the difference of principles of our positions concerning the question of development of the federal law on election of the deputies to the State Duma of the Russian Federation prevents us from supporting the point of view exposed in your documents.

Sincerely yours,

Deputy of the Governor of the Autonomic District

(signature)

A.V.Arteyev