MOSCOW, JUNE 7. /RIA Novosti correspondent Vladimir Semiryaga/.

"The struggle to abolish the five per cent barrier is a struggle for the democratisation of society, for fair elections," reads an appeal to the President of the Russian Federation, adopted on Friday in Moscow during the work of a roundtable discussion of political parties and movements.

The movements Youth Solidarity, Democratic Russia, Voters' Association - Russian Academy of Sciences, and a number of others took part in the forum.

"Understanding that it is impossible for Russia to move forward without improving electoral law, we call on the President to take all the necessary measures to abolish the five per cent barrier in the law on elections to the State Duma, a barrier infringing on the constitutional rights of citizens, says the appeal. As Pavel Petov, member of the Political Council of the Youth Solidarity movement, told a RIA Novosti correspondent, the adoption of just such an appeal has been necessitated by the fact that the suit file with the Constitutional Court of Russia on July 5 will be considered only at the start of next year.

"We do hope," stressed Petov, "that the President will be able to speed up the alteration of the electoral law necessary for the country."

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Johnson's Russia List

9 June 1997

djohnson@cdi.org