Russian Citizens’ Voices abroad should not be lost

The International Forum "Together with Russia", organized on the initiative of the "The Russkiy Mi" Foundation was launched In Moscow. The Pridnestrovian delegation includes the President Vadim Krasnoselsky, Speaker Alexander Shcherba and Vice Speaker Galina Antyufeeva, parliamentarians Victor Guzun and Alexander Korshunov, Igor Buga, chairman of the Youth Parliament Alexander Savich.

Representatives of the Russian Central Election Commission and the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs who spoke about organizing the voting of Russian citizens in the presidential elections in Russia abroad made a speech for the delegates. The meeting was chaired by the chairman of the board of the Russkiy Mir Foundation Vyacheslav Nikonov. It was noted in the course of the meeting: more than 1.8 million Russian citizens are abroad permanently and are on consular accounts.

As another participant in the meeting assured, Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko, elections abroad will take place not only in places where Russians live compactly, but even where small groups live: they will be sent to members of the election commission with a portable ballot box. In addition to tourists and compatriots, Russian servicemen who serve outside the Russian Federation will be able to vote. Do not forget about the Russian specialists who work massively at large joint facilities abroad. According to the calculations of the representative of the Central Election Commission, this time the voting will be very active and the number of voters will exceed 25% of all foreign voters.

According to the speakers, the high turnout expected in the presidential elections is ensured by promptly informing about the places and the procedure for elections; an increase in the number of electoral points (there will be 393 of them in all - a record number in 145 countries); organization of delivery to polling stations on election day, as well as broad opportunities for early voting (available in 93 states). In addition, for the convenience of voters in these elections, a democratic absentee system has been adopted: any Russian citizen can vote anywhere in the world simply on the basis of a passport and an oral appeal on the election day.

The international community interest to the Russian elections is great. As the Chairman of the Central Election Commission stated, more than 1000 international observers will attend the presidential elections in Russia, many of whom are representatives of international organizations.

There is a podium discussion "Democracy in Russia and Russian Voters Abroad" at the present time. Vyacheslav Nikonov, chairman of the board of the Russkiy Mir Foundation is a moderator of the conversation. State Duma Vice-Speaker Pyotr Tolstoy, State Duma Deputy of the Federal Assembly Svetlana Zhurova, as well as PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky delivered speeches. The President made a report on the topic "Pridnestrovie - an integral part of the Russian world: the current situation and prospects for development".

The President expressed confidence that the Pridnestrovians will be active in the forthcoming presidential elections in Russia.

It is scheduled that the Speaker of the Supreme Council Alexander Shcherba speaks in the afternoon. The topic of the discussion is "The Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation and Compatriots".