Title

Russia’s Upcoming Elections and the Struggle for Public and Competitive Politics

Thursday, September 22, 2011
2:00am
210 Cannon House Office Building
Washington D.C., DC 20515
United States
Official Transcript: 
PDF icon Russia's Upcoming Elections and the Struggle for Public and Competitive Policies.pdf
Moderator(s): 
Name: 
Mark Milosch
Title Text: 
Chief of Staff
Body: 
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
Name: 
Kyle Parker
Title Text: 
Policy Advisor
Body: 
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
Witnesses: 
Name: 
Leon Aron
Title: 
Diretor of Russian Studies
Body: 
American Enterprise Institute
Name: 
Ariel Cohen
Title: 
Senior Research Fellow for Russian and Eurasian Studies
Body: 
The Heritage Foundation
Name: 
Vladimir Kara-Murza
Title: 
Member of the Federal Political Council
Body: 
Solidarity

Mark Milosch, Chief of Staff of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, spoke on behalf of Congressman Chris Smith to address Russia’s upcoming Duma or parliamentary elections that were scheduled for early December. An evaluation of the potential outcomes of the coming round of Russian elections was presented, with particular concern that the elections would be significantly less free and fair than those of 2007 and 2008.

Witnesses testifying at the briefing – including Leon Aron, Director of Russian Studies for the American Enterprise Institute; Ariel Cohen, Senior Research Fellow for Russian and Eurasian Studies for the Heritage Foundation; and Vladimir Kara-Murza, Member of the Federal Political Council of Solidarity – outlined the political, social, and economic contexts in which the elections would take place, and pointed to the role of Vladimir Putin as an influential actor in the elections.  

Relevant issues: 
Elections
Relevant countries: 
Russian Federation