RUSSIA:The international mission to monitor Russia's parliamentary elections on December 2nd suffered a serious setback yesterday when the main European watchdog said it would stay at home.
The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said its unprecedented move was the result of "delays and restrictions" by the Russian authorities in issuing visas.
A Russian government spokesman rejected the criticism yesterday but the absence of ODIHR observers will increase western concerns that the poll will not be free and fair.
"We have run out of time," said Christian Strohal, director of ODIHR, part of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
"The authorities of the Russian Federation remain unwilling to receive ODIHR observers in a timely and co-operative manner and co-operate fully with them. It is with regret that the ODIHR recognises that it will be unable to deliver its mandate under these circumstances."
The organisation wanted to deploy 20 experts on November 7th and 50 further observers on November 15th. After long delays, ODIHR officials said they had received application forms from the Russian foreign ministry a week ago, but still no visas.
Russian officials rejected that version of events, blaming the delay on a "muddle" inside the ODIHR and "the disdainful actions of its leadership".
The necessary visas had been issued yesterday, officials said, and were ready for collection at the Russian embassy in Warsaw.
Moscow is still expecting observers from four other monitoring missions and two dozen bilateral partners, including Jordan, Japan, the United States and Germany.
Russia had already imposed limits on election observers, cutting the total number from 1,165 in 2003 to a maximum of 400.
The ODIHR has had chilly relations with Moscow since it called the 2003 parliamentary election "free but not fair" because, it said, candidates were given unequal media time.
Western countries are concerned that similar media manipulation this time around will help Russian president Vladimir Putin, heading the United Russia ticket, to a landslide win.
Mr Putin however has hit back at what he sees as condescending European attitudes to Russian politics. Earlier this year, he described the OSCE as a "vulgar instrument designed to promote the foreign policy interests of one or a group of countries".
ODIHR officials said yesterday their dispute with Russia was a consequence of last month's protests from Warsaw about its observers ahead of the Polish general election.
"Moscow knew exactly what they were doing," said one ODIHR official, "and after Warsaw, they saw their chance."