In a Facebook post on Tuesday, caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov said that 72 individuals with immunity – parliamentary candidates – have been implicated in vote-buying, yet none have had their immunity lifted.
Gurov added that two-thirds of the Interior Ministry’s investigations have encountered obstacles at the prosecution office. In his words, this prevents both the investigations from proceeding and those involved from being held criminally accountable. He warned that this creates a risk that the same individuals could take part in future elections.
In his post, Gurov noted the elections would be remembered for higher voter turnout and a reduction in electoral fraud. He added that the caretaker government had fulfilled its mission to ensure a fair vote, despite pressure in the form of “fake news, media bludgeons, and fabricated accusations.” The Cabinet has not backed down from its stated goals, he said, adding that citizens have recognized these efforts, as reflected in both voter turnout and the number of reported irregularities.
According to Gurov, the 200% increase in alerts is a sign of growing public trust in institutions. The electoral process was also assessed by international observers, including representatives of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, as well as political parties.
The caretaker prime minister called on political forces to focus on the tasks ahead and the decisions that need to be made, rather than criticizing the caretaker government.
/DS/