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OSCE urges Russia to increase number of election observers

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MOSCOW, November 15 (RIA Novosti) - OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Goran Lennmarker, called on Russia Thursday to increase the number of international observers at the country's parliamentary elections due December 2.

Lennmarker said some 35 lawmakers were eager to join the monitors and Russia's Central Election Commission had agreed to invite up to 30 observers from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

"We would like to know if any flexibility can be expected in case any other members of the Parliamentary Assembly want to participate in the observer mission at the elections," Lennmarker said at a meeting with the first deputy speaker of Russia's State Duma, Lubov Sliska.

The OSCE official said that the cutback in monitors "could cause difficulties and problems not only for international organizations but also for [Russia] as setting a limit [for inviting observers] could be viewed as an attempt by Russia to restrict the monitors' access to the elections."

Meanwhile, Sliska said "Russia's proposal is normal and a compromise," adding that the issue of inviting observers was settled.

In total, 350 foreign election observers will monitor elections to Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma. The figure is approximately three times fewer than during the 2003 parliamentary elections.

The decrease in the number of monitors has drawn criticism that Russia is breaching international commitments but Sliska said she was surprised by the concerns, adding that Poland and the U.S. only invited 12 and 16 observers respectively for their elections.

In the build up to the elections, there have also been media reports regarding alleged problems with Russian visas for observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

However, the Russian Foreign Ministry put the blame on bureaucracy within the OSCE.

Eleven parties are set to run for the State Duma, currently dominated by pro-Kremlin United Russia.

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