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Electoral Reform Efforts in Russia
Although elections can exist without democracy, democracy cannot function effectively without free and fair elections. ... Since the early 1990s, there has been a steady decline in faith and trust in government institutions, across Russia. (1) Both real and perceived abuses of the electoral system have increased suspicion and discouraged participation. ...
Significant reforms have been undertaken in Russia to address weaknesses in the electoral process and increase confidence in that process. ... The development of the electoral code, however, has proven to be embedded in issues dealing with overall legislative reform efforts. (2)
Electoral reform efforts in Russia have centered on the commitment to guaranteeing the rights of its citizens in the electoral process. ... Despite the weaknesses in the new law, it laid the foundation for specific requirements and procedures to be found in subsequent laws governing the electoral process. Among its important features, the law outlined a hierarchical structure of election commissions, formally recognized electoral associations and blocs as part of the political landscape, guaranteed the rights of voters and candidates participating in the process, and fundamental principles for voting, counting, and tabulation processes. (2)
By 1997, efforts to address weaknesses in the law resulted in a new Basic Guarantees Law that significantly increased the scope and altered the nature of the old law, and began to look more like a mixture of highly detailed procedural guidelines and legal provisions. ... Their philosophy towards the electoral system appears to be based on three basic premises. ... (3)
The designers of the Russian electoral system took the Federal Republic of Germany as their model in creating a relatively small number of strong electoral parties.
Approximate Word count = 1317
Approximate Pages = 5.3
(250 words per page double spaced)
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