 | AN ANCIENT CIVILIZATION once existed on the left bank of the Dniester. Find out how, for more than 5,000 years, the river formed an international border between two separate and very distinct cultures. [more] |  | | |  | RECOGNIZE REALITY is the message that Pridnestrovie's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is sending to the world. The new and emerging country seeks international recognition. [more] |
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Russia's parliament recognizes PMR's independence referendum 419 to 0
The lower house in Russia passed a statement recognizing the results of Pridnestrovie's 17 September independence referendum. For the sake of human rights, peace and security, it urges the international community to not ignore the voice of the voters. The statement was passed unanimously, fully supported by both pro-government and opposition parties.
All members present in the Russian Duma recognized PMR's referendum as a democratic expression of the will of the peopleMOSCOW (Tiraspol Times) - In a 419 to nil vote on Friday, the State Duma of Russia decided to recognize the results of the independence referendum held in Pridnestrovie, also known as Transnistria or Transdniester, on 17 September 2006.
"The State Duma believes that the Russian Federation ought to shape its policy taking into account the expression of the free will of the people of the Pridnestrovskaia Moldavskaia Respublica. The outcome of the referendum in PMR should be fully taken into consideration by the international community for the sake of ensuring human rights, peace and security in the region, and for a fair settlement of the conflict", reads the Russian State Duma statement adopted by all the 419 deputies present at the time of the vote.
The vote was carried unanimously, with no one abstaining and no one voting against. Even the normally critical opposition supported the measure, emphasizing that to not respect the will of the people would be a slap in the face to an emerging democracy.
The State Duma in the Russian Federation is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia, its legislature. Its members are referred to as deputies. The 628-member parliament, termed the Federal Assembly, consists of two chambers, the 450-member State Duma (the lower house) and the 178-member Federation Council (the upper house).
- No doubt in the minds of observers
Earlier, a total of 130 international observers from the CIS and the European Union recognized the referendum as free and fair, "corresponding to national legislation, universally recognized democratic principles and standards for organizing".
In its statement, entitled "Joint Conclusion of the Group of International Observers", the election monitors confirm that "in the course of the referendum, no violations of the principles of a free and fair, equal, secret vote took place". The refendum, in the opinion of observers, corresponded to the democratic principles of free and fair elections, with a high degree of openness and transparency.
Meanwhile, most Western governments and international organizations, including the OSCE, refused to recognize the referendum and held that it took place in an "atmosphere of political repression". None of them sent any observers or took steps to evaluate the voting process first-hand. This was in noted contrast to the Russian State Duma, which sent several parliamentarians as officially sanctioned election observers, and which as a result of their findings decided to recognize the results of the referendum as valid.
See also:
» 130 international observers declare referendum free, fair and democratic
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe is glad to see progress in one of the continent's oldest "frozen conflicts". Local OSCE-head Philip Remler welcomed the resumption of direct dialogue between Transdniestria and Moldova. Transdniestria hopes that the talks will bring it a step closer to international recognition of its independence. . . 
