Russia's electoral commission said it would study the OSCE appeal
|
Europe's top election monitoring body has urged Russia to lift restrictions being imposed on its ability to cover the presidential election on 2 March.
Russia has said the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) will only be allowed to send 70 observers three days before the vote.
An OSCE spokesman told the BBC this would make it impossible for them to do their job properly.
There were 400 OSCE monitors in Russia's presidential election in 2004.
Blanket TV coverage
Arriving just three days before the vote would mean the OSCE observers could not monitor the election campaign to see if it was free and fair for all candidates.
Nor could they monitor Russian media coverage to assess whether all those running for the presidency are given proper access.
President Vladimir Putin has made no secret of his irritation with foreign observers.
President Putin wants Mr Medvedev to succeed him
|
Addressing leaders from Russia's domestic intelligence service, the FSB, on Wednesday, he said they must raise their guard against any attempts by foreigners to meddle in the elections.
"You must step up efforts to receive on time information about any attempts to interfere in our domestic affairs," he ordered.
"This country is a sovereign state and we will not allow anyone to manipulate the election campaign from abroad."
State control
The BBC's Richard Galpin says Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev - who has been put forward by President Putin to be his successor - is already receiving blanket television coverage.
Almost all the broadcast media is controlled by the Kremlin.
Mr Medvedev has also refused to take part in any live television debates during the election campaign.
This has prompted a rebuke from the Communist Party candidate, Gennady Zyuganov, who said the Kremlin was frightened to face its opponents.
A member of Russia's election commission confirmed it had received the appeal from the OSCE monitors, and would reply soon.
But he did not give any indication that they would be allowed to come to Russia any earlier than currently stipulated.
One-Minute World News
News services
E-mail this to a friend
Printable version
Bookmark with:
What are these?