Igor Bunin: The abolition of “against all” is a logical step that does not contradict the principle of protecting the rights of voters

On June 28, 2006, the Novye Izvestiya newspaper published an article by the Director General of the Center for Political Technologies, Igor Bunin, entitled "Count "against everyone" - a sign of political infantilism."

The canceled graph, which I. Bunin considers "an archaic part of the Russian electoral legislation" , "preserves mainly in countries that are undergoing a democratic transition, are experiencing a transitional period , - explains the author. - With the end of this period, the existence of the notorious graph becomes purely inertial, it gradually dies off ( as, for example, recently happened in Kazakhstan, he continues).

I. Bunin puts forward the following arguments for the abolition of the column "against all". Firstly, in the largest democratic countries in the national elections this column was not and is not. Secondly, voting against all was justified in elections in single-mandate districts, and with the abolition of federal elections in single-mandate districts, the problem was removed, and thirdly, voting "against all" is a "spit" in the face of "the entire democratic political system " . And in general, the abolition of the column "against all" "gives a chance for opposition political forces to increase their representation in the legislative bodies of power both in the center and in the regions . "

"The presence of the column "against all" stimulates non-civilian behavior, political infantilism, mental laziness ," the author of the article believes.

The preservation of the column under discussion would be logical, explains I. Bunin, if compulsory voting existed in Russia, and "deviators" paid fines. Since there is nothing of the kind, in the event of a protest "it would be more honest to stay at home than to spit on the sly, left alone with the ballot in the voting booth . "

Cancellation "against all" is a logical step that does not contradict the principle of protecting the rights of voters. “At the same time, the abolition of the “against all” column imposes certain obligations on the state ... the basic principles of political democracy must be strictly observed. ... the elimination of opposition electoral associations and individual candidates in elections to regional legislative assemblies (where single-member constituencies remain) should be excluded from Russian electoral practice .

Sources

• Bunin I. Graf "against everyone" - a sign of political infantilism // Novye Izvestia. 2006. June 28.