MOSCOW, March 11 Commanding Bishop of the Russian United Union of Christians of the Evangelical Faith (Pentecostals) (ROSHVE), member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation Sergei Ryakhovsky said that he would become a public observer in the presidential elections.
The Federation Council has scheduled presidential elections for March 17, 2024. Voting will last three days: March 15, 16 and 17. Four candidates registered by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation are vying for the post of head of state: Leonid Slutsky, Nikolai Kharitonov, Vladislav Davankov and Vladimir Putin.
“As a member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, I decided to be a public observer in the presidential elections of the Russian Federation. And I believe that this is a normal duty of members of the RF OP. And we have a very large number of people who became proxies of the president and suspended their powers as members of the OP. Public observers are not suspend them because our task is to make sure that in the area where we will be there will be no violations, no incidents, stuffing, etc. My task is to monitor the election process so that those people who come have there were no comments or complaints about the polling stations, the local polling stations where they vote, make sure of this and sign the certificate of absence of violations,” said the head of ROSHVE.
Seminars and master classes for public election observers have already been held at the site of the RF OP, the bishop said, thanking everyone who organized and trained public specialists and noting the role of the Public Chamber in fulfilling the promise of the head of state .
“Back in 2006, when the RF OP was created, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin noted: “Your task is to control the authorities, which must implement the laws of the Russian Federation, the message, presidential decrees, etc.” And for me it is fundamentally important to help our officials fulfill what what the president says, especially in his message, especially in his decrees, and to convey to the top leadership of our country the pain, aspirations, experiences, requests of our people and everything related to the improvement of life. As a member of the Public Chamber, I will continue to work in this direction and fulfill your civic public duty,” Ryakhovsky added.
He emphasized that he motivates all parishioners of Evangelical Christian churches to fulfill their civic duty.
“I cannot say for whom exactly to vote — this is a personal matter for everyone, but I urge everyone to come to the polls and make their choice,” the head of ROSHVE told the agency.
Russian evangelical Christians, the bishop recalled, have always had an active civic position.
“It is impossible to think differently, because we fulfill the words of Christ, who said: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” We brilliantly give to God the things that are God’s: worship services, social service, mercy, compassion, love for people. And By giving to Caesar what is Caesar’s, we not only pay taxes, not only work in state and private enterprises, but we understand that the well-being and prosperity of our country depends on who will be the leader of the state, what principles he adheres to, how spiritually moral he is,” – concluded Ryakhovsky.