On the 15 of March an international experts, who had been in Russia for several days and kept up with preparation and carrying on a single day of voting, visited the Public Chamber. MEPs Bela Kovach (Hungary), Viktor Uspasskih (Lithuania), deputy of the Sejm Alexey Kholostov (Latvia), president of the European Center for Geopolitical analysis Mateush Piskorski (Poland) held public monitoring of observance of electoral rights in Komi Republic, Kirov and Tver regions.

Mission of the observers on the local and regional elections had private expert nature (the current Russian legislation does not provide possibility to officially register observers from the European Parliament on elections). However, with the support of the organization «For democracy and human rights» (Member of the Association «Civil control») and Public Chamber of Russia the experts had gone to the regions and there they familiarized with work of electoral commissions and communicated with representatives of political parties and voters.
In general European experts were satisfied with the organization of the elections.

Bela Kovach noted a level of the preparation of all chairmans of district election comissions, who he had met on the 6 polling stations in the Kirov region. « I was glad to communicate with these people because I, as a current politician, immediately saw their experience and qualification», - said Bela Kovach.

However, there were some technical defects during the elections. In Kirov Bela Kovach saw how two modern facilities for the electronic ballot counting went out of order. But in opinion of the expert this situation was solved immediately: very quickly voting on these polling stations was changed to the traditional electoral system. Latvian politician Aleksey Kholostov noted that people are more likely to believe electronic procedure.

The deputy mentioned that the usage of modern methods of voting and processing of ballots was related to the results of the elections.

«It is interesting that on the polling stations where were used the electronic ballot counting opposition parties got bigger percent of votes», - smiled expert, who had visited Tver region.

By the way Kholostov became a witness of an unpleasant situation with participation of an assistant of the deputy of the federal State Duma. «He tried to explain that he is a boss, and all other people are fools, he was showing his document. However, in the end this situation was settled», - told Kholostov.
Kholostov accused Russian politicians of a high level of thier incorrectly agitation.

In the Statement of the Assosiation of noncommercial organizations for the protection of electoral rights «Civil control» which was disseminated on the 15 of March with details and examples was written about the incorrectly campaigning and unacceptable methods of struggle. It is worth noting that for the preparation of this statement were used not just only analytical materials, which were worked out by experts, but also citizen's appeals, which were received in the Assosiation (were received more than 250 appeals).

European experts appreciated contribution of public organizations-observers and possibility of informal visit to our country.

«For example, in Germany the only possibility to hold any expert work during regional elections It is when political parties and candidates invite observers. Accordingly we can see a lack of the institutions of civil society, which carry out work which is similar the to work of Russian noncommercial organization», - told Mateush Piskorski.

In mission were 12 observers from Austria, Hungary, Germany, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Finland and Italy. During business trip to Russia the head of the Central Electoral Committee of Russia Vladimir Churov met with them.

«I think that our colleagues has favorable impressions. However, I don’t support black and white vision of the world, especially in policy. I’m sure that our colleagues will have a chance to hand over all our opinions and information which they have got in Russia», - noted one of the main organizers of work of the mission of international observers, member of the Public Chamber of Russia, co-chairman of the Association «Civil control» Alexander Brod.