Russian Election Chief Saw No Violations In U.S. Election

Prague, 3 November 2004 (RFE/RL) -- Russian Central Election Commission Chairman Aleksandr Veshnyakov, who is in the United States to monitor the U.S. presidential election, told Interfax on 3 November that there were no serious procedural violations during the 2 November voting.

"I was at five polling stations in California and did not find any violations that could influence the outcome of the election at any of them," Veshnyakov said. He also lauded the high turnout for the poll.

Veshnyakov also expressed dismay that some international election monitors, including some from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, were not allowed into polling stations in some states. He said that even though local legislation in those states bars foreign observers from working at polling stations, the situation was "surprising" because the U.S. federal government had invited them.