PACE unanimously declares Russia’s newly formed State Duma illegitimate
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PACE did not recognize the newly formed Russian State Duma (Photo: PACE / Facebook)
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe unanimously declared Russia’s new State Duma illegitimate at a Sept. 30 plenary session in Strasbourg, with all 59 members present backing the decision.
According to her, PACE concluded that the so-called State Duma elections held Sept. 18-20 failed to meet fundamental standards for free and fair elections. As a result, the vote cannot be considered a genuine expression of the will of Russian citizens. Kravchuk said the new State Duma therefore cannot be regarded as democratically elected or as a legitimate representative body.
Kravchuk said the resolution included three amendments she proposed concerning the application of international humanitarian law under occupation. In particular, the document stresses that occupation is temporary, does not transfer sovereignty to Russia and does not alter the legal status of the temporarily occupied territories.
The resolution also condemns the coercion of Ukrainian citizens into participating in Russian-organized “elections.” It says such pressure deprives people of the ability to freely express their will. PACE also called for immediate sanctions against members of Russia’s Central Election Commission involved in preparing and holding “elections” in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
The Assembly also called for no engagement with Russia’s newly elected State Duma and for the continued political and diplomatic isolation of the Russian authorities, including barring their representatives from international forums. Other recommendations include restricting tourist visas for Russian citizens and strengthening political, financial and practical support for Ukraine, including through the use of frozen Russian assets.
So-called elections in Russia
Russia held State Duma elections Sept. 18-20, the first such “elections” since the start of its full-scale war against Ukraine. The registration of Yabloko, the only opposition party that opposed the war, was canceled.
The Kremlin also organized illegal voting in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, which Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry called legally null and void.
On Sept. 21, Russia’s Central Election Commission announced that the ruling United Russia party had received more than 57% of the vote and secured a parliamentary majority.
In its Sept. 20 report, the Institute for the Study of War said the Kremlin was presenting what it described as predetermined election results as evidence of broad public support in Russia for the war against Ukraine.
On Sept. 21, Russia’s Central Election Commission announced that United Russia had secured a constitutional majority in the State Duma following the Sept. 18-20 elections. United Russia will hold 355 of the 450 seats in the lower house of the Russian parliament, the largest parliamentary faction in the party’s history. Its previous record was 343 seats following the 2016 elections.
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