MOSCOW, August 9. /TASS/: Western nations are seeking to use international structures, in particular, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to hinder parliamentary elections in Russia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.
"You see that special attention is being focused abroad, first of all, by our Western partners, on our domestic affairs, especially to the elections. They are trying to use international organizations to complicate the voting. They used the OSCE for unacceptable actions, which run counter to the duties of the organization’s secretariat and the office that is supposed to address democratic matters and human rights," he said.
"We know that additional steps are being prepared in advance. The Western countries want to prepare ground to try to doubt the results of our elections. We are keeping an eye on it, of course, and will make corresponding conclusions and take corresponding measures," Lavrov said.
"Our elections are our own domestic affair. We have our constitution, laws, procedures, mechanisms for ensuring objective vote counting," he stressed.
Elections to the Russian State Duma are scheduled for September 19, 20201, the single voting day. Voting will be organized over three days, namely September 17, 18, and 19. Concurrently, direct gubernatorial elections will be held in nine Russian regions (top executive officials will be elected by local legislatures in three more regions) and 39 regions will elect their legislative bodies.
