Sochi CEC states use of children in campaigning

The constituent election commission (CEC) has lodged an application to the Prosecutor's Office about attraction of children to campaigning during a party rally.

"On September 16, we sent to the Sochi Prosecutor's Office an application, received from local residents of Sochi on the fact of the rally (on September 1) near the monument to Lenin with propaganda goals... Children were involved in the promotional event; and it caused our appeal to prosecutors," Vadim Belous, the Chair of the CEC, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Elena Timoshina, a CEC member, has added that at the rally children kept running around in T-shirts with party symbols.

Tatiana Katanidi, an employee of the Sochi Administration, has confirmed that the Mayoralty had sanctioned that public event. "The September 1 rally was sanctioned, but participation of children in election campaigns is prohibited; therefore, residents have lodged an application to the Prosecutor's Office," she said.

So far, the "Caucasian Knot" has no comments from the leadership of the party branch in question, whose rally caused the above application.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.