The United Kingdom is using double standards when commenting on elections in Russia and the United States, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on Thursday in her Telegram channel, in response to a statement made by British envoy to the OSCE Neil Bush, who claimed that Moscow’s limitations on the number of observers that the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions can send are unconstitutional.
“Where were Neil Bush and the whole British Foreign Office when the ODIHR team was established for the U.S. presidential elections in 2020?,” the diplomat inquired.
“Is Neil Bush aware of how many observers came in the United States after all (some states did not allow them in at the same time)? I can tell you, 30! What word would Neil Bush choose to characterize his actions: double standards or fealty?”
Due to Moscow’s limitations, the OSCE said on Wednesday that it does not believe it is viable to deploy observers to the State Duma elections. According to Matteo Mecacci, the OSCE ODIHR chief, it is critical for the organization to objectively assess the required number of monitors.
The British Ambassador to the OSCE, Neil Bush, stated on Thursday that the limits on the number of OSCE monitors will make it difficult to monitor the elections legitimately.
“The UK shares the regret expressed by the ODIHR and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly that Russia’s constraints would prohibit the OSCE from presenting Russian people with a transparent and authoritative evaluation of their upcoming Duma State elections,” he added in a statement.
“Russia’s decision to severely limit the number of observers undermines the efficacy and legitimacy of the ODIHR’s election observation.”
