Russia accuses election monitors

RUSSIA:Russia accused Europe's main democracy watchdog yesterday of trying to sabotage next month's presidential election, which has already been denounced as a sham by opponents of Kremlin-backed candidate Dmitry Medvedev.

The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) angered Moscow by accusing it of placing "unprecedented" restrictions on monitors of the March 2nd poll, in which Medvedev is expected to claim about three-quarters of votes.

Russia is particularly wary of the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), which monitors the fairness of entire election campaigns rather than just voting procedures, and which has condemned dubious polls in several ex-Soviet states.

The ODIHR is unhappy that its monitors will only be allowed into Russia three days before the vote, and could scrap plans to observe the poll, just as it did last December's Russian parliamentary election in protest at obstructive behaviour from Moscow.

"Open sabotage continues from the OSCE to our proposals for joint election monitoring on a collective, agreed upon and mutually acceptable basis," said Russian foreign ministry official Sergei Ryabkov. "These are political games that we reject and will not take part in," he said.

Russia has invited 400 international monitors to the election - half the number that participated four years ago, when Vladimir Putin easily won a second term. He cannot stand again, but has anointed Medvedev as his successor and offered to serve as prime minister under his presidency.