>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 21:18:17 EST >Subject: Great Electoral Deals >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >MIME-Version: 1.0 >X-Mailer: Windows AOL sub 32 >Status: > >RUSSIA INFO-LIST >from International Solidarity with Workers in Russia - ISWoR >*********************************************************** >If you appreciate receiving this mail please distribute it to your friends and >post it to internet forums; if not, send a "no more" message to: >International Solidarity with Workers in Russia - email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >*********************************************************** >ISWoR web-site - http://members.aol.com/ISWoR/english/index.html >*********************************************************** > >Dear friends, >The message below was written by anarchist activist Jean Raymond of Reflexes >(France), during the recent Duma elections. It gives a useful insight into >one aspect of the "surprise" popularity of the parties responsible for the >devastation of Russian workers lives. >Lisa Taylor >--------- > >Great Electoral Deals > >by Jean Raymond >translation by Harry Forster > >Russian elections may prove to be a good deal for electors. At every step >of the election campaign you can pick up a few dozen roubles ($1 is worth >about 27 roubles). Only the Communist Party has a national militant >apparatus based on the former CPSU and can dispense with paying militants >too much. All the other parties have to cough up. The first step in >fielding a candidate is to collect several thousand signatures. They >consequently have to pay people to canvas potential voters (as much as $1 >per signature) as well as paying the signatories themselves (a few >roubles). The aunt of a friend was given some opera tickets in exchange for >her signature. The campaign has also been a great opportunity of actors and >journalists. The former find plenty of work compering the receptions and >banquets to which candidates invite potential voters. Journalists get to >write campaign newsletters, fliers and even speeches. In some cases it is >the only time they ever make any money. > >Students also earn a little handing out fliers. In Moscow the Union of >Right-wing Forces, a pro-Putin party led by a bunch of pro-Pinochet >ultra-liberal walking disasters wanted to attract young voters. They >consequently hired stunning young women to hand out their fliers. On >election day itself there is further scope for adding to your meagre pay. >This time it's women and babushkas (grandmothers) who are drawn into the >polling stations. In the one in my building there were at least ten of >them. Electors must start by having their identity checked and two people >take care of this job for each building (about a hundred flats). Then they >go into a polling booth to place the relevant papers in the ballot box. >Moscow electors have to cope with three forms the size of a two-page >fold-out from a daily newspaper. One sheet for the local representative, >another one for the national election and a third for the mayor of Moscow. >The papers list the names of all the candidates and electors must either >check one or alternatively a boxed marked "votes against all of them". It >takes such a long time that desks and benches are provided so that electors >can read the forms. The ballot boxes themselves are not supervised and on >their way out electors are counted by two old women. In another polling >station I saw there was a loudspeaker broadcasting traditional Russian >music to attract electors. > > >Jean Raymond (No Pasaran - Reflexes), Moscow correspondent for Radio >Libertaire and Le Monde >Libertaire. > >*********************************************************** >The RUSSIA INFO-LIST >puts out information and analysis from a wide range of sources. Messages >posted to Russia Info-List do not necessarily reflect the views of ISWoR. > >If you have something you would like to distribute on Russia Info-List, or >want to help in our practical solidarity work, contact: >[EMAIL PROTECTED]< >Box R, 46 Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8RZ, England >*********************************************************** > > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe/unsubscribe messages mailto [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________
