parties
AfD warns MPs for observing elections in Russia
Ulrich Singer is one of the Bavarian AfD members of the state parliament who traveled to Russia to observe the election. photo
© Sven Hoppe/dpa
In March, three Bavarian AfD MPs visited the presidential election in Russia as election observers. The federal leadership of the party is now drawing conclusions.
The three members of the Bavarian state parliament, Ulrich Singer, Andreas Jurca and Elena Roon, traveled to Russia in March as election observers, according to their own statements at an invitation from there. Jurca explained that it was about assessing the organization and conduct of the elections. The trip was organized by the welcoming side. “We have decided to bear the costs ourselves, precisely in order to avoid allegations of bias.”
Election observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), however, were not allowed in Russia. Their assessment is important for the international recognition of a result. President Vladimir Putin was confirmed in office for the fifth time in the controversial election with 87.28 percent of the vote. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) refrained from congratulating them. According to a government spokeswoman, the election was viewed as “neither free nor fair.”
The AfD federal leadership had recommended the three MPs not to travel to Russia. Now they have been warned. In the federal office, reference is made to the party statutes. Members who violate the party’s statutes, principles or rules can therefore be warned, along with a warning that further disciplinary measures may be imposed in the event of a repeat or similar behavior. Such regulatory measures can include suspension from office and, in the most serious cases, party expulsion proceedings.