Federal Information and News Dispatch, Inc.
State Department
July 14, 2004

Helsinki Federation Reports on Elections in Caucasus, Central Asia;
Urges Russia to postpone presidential elections in Chechnya

TEXT: The International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF)
has completed a new report focusing on the corruption of elections in
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Central Asia, and the Russian Federation
(Chechnya).

The report was prepared for the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) meeting on Electoral Standards and
Commitments July 15-16 in Vienna, Austria.

The report is available online at

Following is the text of an IHF press release on the report:

(begin text)

International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

Vienna, Austria

July 14, 2004

ELECTIONS IN ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN, CENTRAL ASIA, AND RUSSIAN
FEDERATION (CHECHNYA) “RIDDLED WITH SERIOUS IRREGULARITIES AND FRAUD”

CHECHEN ELECTIONS SHOULD BE POSTPONED

Vienna, 14 July 2004. The International Helsinki Federation for Human
Rights (IHF) report to the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe meeting on Electoral Standards and Commitments, to be held
on 15-16 July in Vienna, focuses on the corruption of elections in
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Central Asia, and the Russian Federation
(Chechnya).

[The report is available online at

)

Most of the elections held since the Central Asia republics became
independent have been characterized by serious irregularities, lack
of transparency, failure to provide equal conditions for all
candidates to promote different political views, and the abuse of
public resources. Turkmenistan has witnessed an almost total erosion
of democratic principles.

In Armenia and Azerbaijan, opposition candidates have been eliminated
from elections, media coverage has been tilted in favor of ruling
parties, opposition demonstrators and campaigners have been
mistreated by police, arbitrarily arrested, detained, and unfairly
tried. Recent elections in both countries were marred by serious and
widespread fraud.

The IHF is urging the Russian Federation to postpone presidential
elections in Chechnya to replace assassinated President Kadyrov,
which have been set for 29 August 2004. The IHF and the Moscow
Helsinki Group have documented serious fraud in the recent
constitutional referendum, presidential elections and Russian State
Duma elections in Chechnya.

“Manipulated elections aimed at creating an image of normalcy have
done nothing to solve the basic political and human rights problems
in Chechnya. But genuine and fair election processes could lead to a
political, rather than a military solution,” according to Aaron
Rhodes, Executive Director of the IHF.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs,
U.S. Department of State.)