Persuasion is more valuable than money

For almost a month and a half, Russians will have to live closely surrounded by the candidates for the new Duma and their numerous printed and television images.

Strictly speaking, some parties and candidates have engaged in something painfully reminiscent of election campaigning before. Right-wing leaders danced with teenagers in stadiums, Chernomyrdin sang duets with Lyudmila Zykina, Zhirinovsky recited poems about his “native side” on TV. However, the party members themselves considered all this not campaigning, which is prohibited from the day the elections are called until the registration of candidates, but political advertising, about which the law “On Elections of State Duma Deputies” says nothing.
Indeed, in accordance with Art. 8 of this law, campaigning is recognized as “activities that encourage or have the goal of encouraging voters to participate in elections, as well as to vote for or against any registered candidate, for or against any federal list of candidates registered by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation.” Since the songs and dances were not accompanied by direct calls to “Vote for such and such,” the politicians decided that this was not propaganda at all. True, if you follow this logic, then, for example, the appearance on TV of a candidate reciting poetry on election day (when campaigning is prohibited) also cannot be considered a violation. Although it is quite obvious that if this happened, a lover of poetry would probably run into serious trouble.
The Central Election Commission, apparently, reasoned differently: its members considered that the actions described above still contained signs of agitation, and officially warned some parties about possible sanctions. However, the matter never came to the point of refusing registration for premature campaigning. According to one version, the Central Election Commission specifically “holds back” violations so that, if necessary, it can take advantage of them at any time.
One way or another, from the moment of registration with the Central Election Commission or district election commission (this process must be fully completed by November 4), candidates, parties and blocs will have every right not only to boast about their merits and valor, but also to persuade voters to vote for them. True, candidates are in no hurry to take full advantage of this right. By the beginning of last week, the Central Election Commission registered five electoral associations ("Fatherland - All Russia", Communist Party of the Russian Federation, "Yabloko", "Our Home is Russia" and "Union of Right Forces"), but none of them have yet started a massive campaign in the media.
Representatives of the Big Five unanimously assured Kommersant that, in fact, campaigning is underway, but “in other forms” and mainly in the regions. In addition, the election plans of these parties and blocs, according to Kommersant’s interlocutors, do not provide for the involvement of central media at the first stage. After all, as you know, of all things said, the last thing is remembered best.
Election staffers were a little more forthcoming. According to them, the Central Election Commission’s much stricter approach to monitoring election campaign financing than before forces parties to spend their election funds sparingly. Therefore, the emphasis is on cheaper types of campaigning (billboards, leaflets, open letters, etc.), and free campaigning on state television will help reach the federal level. Another unexpected version of the “modesty” of the leading parties and blocs is that the largest Russian specialists in the field of election technologies are now working on the presidential elections in fraternal Ukraine and will return to the Duma campaign after they are over.
Be that as it may, in the near future even those voters who have not yet thought about elections at all will be able to experience all the delights of the election race.
Within a week after the completion of registration of candidates and parties, the Central Election Commission and local election commissions will draw lots to distribute free air time and print space in state media among election participants. First, the candidates will begin to tell newspaper readers about themselves, and from November 19 they will appear on free television and radio. No later than November 19, local authorities must allocate special places for the placement of election printed materials, after which the stands at polling stations will be filled with the noble faces of the candidates and their wonderful programs. As for billboards, leaflets, brochures and booklets, candidates can start filling streets, underground passages and mailboxes with them right from the moment of registration.
Voters, exhausted by all this propaganda splendor, will be able to breathe freely only on December 18. It is on this day that the campaign marathon will finally end, and the “red”, “white” and “green” reigning on television screens will be replaced by the apolitical “Tropicans” and “Return to Eden”.

DMITRY KAMYSHEV

PEOPLE WILL SOON BE REMINDED WHAT "ACTIVITIES INTENDED TO INCENT VOTERS" ARE

What media will you rely on most when deciding how to vote in the election?
Central television channels 62%
Local TV 20%
Central Radio 20%
Local radio 9%
Central newspapers 23%
Local newspapers 8%
Conversations with loved ones, friends, colleagues 28%
Personal meetings with candidates and party representatives 14%
Posters, leaflets, other propaganda materials 9%
Other 4%
Difficult to answer 12%
VTsIOM October 15-19 representative survey of 1,600 people (several answers could be given)

Magazine "Kommersant Vlast" No. 43 dated 02.11.1999, page 13

Authors:

Dmitry Kamyshev