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Russia’s Election Countdown

A conversation with:

Mr. Vladimir Kara-Murza
National Coordinator, Open Russia
Deputy Leader, People’s Freedom Party

Mr. Pavel Khodorkovsky
President
Institute of Modern Russia

Dr. Miriam Lanskoy
Senior Director, Russia and Eurasia
National Endowment for Democracy

Ambassador John Herbst
Director, Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center
Atlantic Council

Mr. Steven Lee Myers
Correspondent
The New York Times

Thursday, June 9, 2016
4:00pm — 5:30pm

Atlantic Council headquarters
1030 15th St NW, 12th floor, West Tower Elevators
Washington, DC

Metro and parking info

Attendance is by RSVP only

To register your interest in attending this event, please click here

On September 18, 2016, Russia will hold a parliamentary election—its seventh since the breakup of the Soviet Union. After March 2000, not a single nationwide vote in Russia was assessed by international observers as “free and fair.” The last Duma elections in 2011 were marred by allegations of widespread fraud and prompted the largest street protests under Vladimir Putin’s rule. 

As the vote nears, the authorities are imposing new restrictions on observers and journalists, while the state-run media engages in a smear campaign against Kremlin critics. Russia’s pro-democracy opposition, meanwhile, has decided against a boycott and is preparing to nominate its candidates for the State Duma and regional legislatures. The panel will discuss the prospects for Russia’s 2016 parliamentary vote, the opposition’s plans, and the international community’s role in holding the Russian government to its Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe commitments on free and fair elections.

We hope you can join us for this important and timely discussion.

Please note that this event is open to press and on the record.