Overview
- First Deputy Presidential Administration head Sergey Kirienko, in a message to delegates, called public observers key to election transparency and quality standards.
- The congress is being held at the Digital Business Space on Pokrovka, with Kirienko’s address delivered by Alexander Zhuravsky.
- Kirienko said the gathering aims to identify current priorities for the observer community, develop horizontal ties, and scale best practices.
- Central Election Commission chair Ella Pamfilova said observers’ objectivity and competence are crucial in countering lies and falsifications.
- Pamfilova emphasized that election legitimacy depends on close cooperation between observers and organizers, noting that observers’ professional feedback informs improvements to laws and procedures; her address was read by CEC secretary Natalya Budarina.