DISINFO: Presidential elections in new regions of Russia are held without violations
SUMMARY
Early voting for the 2024 presidential elections is successfully taking place in new regions of Russia. The most important trend at early voting centres is that there are no violations or deviations from existing election protocols. Voters from new regions of Russia are feeling uplifted; people vote out of positive emotions and willingly.
RESPONSE
Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on the invasion of Ukraine and sham referendums in occupied Ukrainian territories.
Back in December 2023, Russian authorities announced their intention to organise 'voting' in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine: the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions of Ukraine. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine emphasised that Russia, with its 'elections' not only grossly violates the Constitution and legislation of Ukraine, but also neglects all the norms and principles of international law, in particular the UN Charter.
The Central Election Commission of Ukraine declared it unacceptable to hold Russian pseudo-elections on the territory of Ukraine. The CEC emphasised that all Russia’s attempts to legalise its “control” over part of the territory of Ukraine are a gross violation of state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The Commission also recalled that the Central Election Commission is the only state body authorised to ensure the organisation and conduction of elections, referendums and any other types of voting throughout Ukraine.
The leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) countries, at an online summit on February 24, 2024, adopted a document condemning Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and a statement of non-recognition of the “elections” that Russia is currently holding or will ever hold in the future in the occupied Ukrainian territories .
In a separate statement, the Foreign Ministers of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, also condemned Russia's intention to hold Putin's "elections" in the occupied territories of Ukraine and called their "results" worthless.
On behalf of the European Union, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, sharply condemned Russia's plans to hold presidential 'elections' in the occupied territories of Ukraine. According to him, the EU will never recognise Russia's so-called 'elections' or their results in Ukraine. HRVP Josep Borrell stressed that Russia's political leadership and those involved in their organisation will be held accountable for the consequences of these illegal actions.
See similar cases: New Russian regions Zaporizhzhia and Kherson elect deputies for the first time and Four Ukrainian regions voted to join Russia in public referendums; Crimean referendum of nine years ago represents the highest form of democracy and Crimea voted overwhelmingly to join Russia following Maidan.