Protesters march against Nato summit

[pampango]

32. The 'election' in Crimea had zero credibility.

The United Nations General Assembly also rejected the vote and annexation, adopting a resolution affirming the "territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders".



The means by which the referendum was conducted were widely criticized by foreign governments and in the Ukrainian and international press, with reports that anyone holding a Russian passport regardless of residency in Crimea was allowed to vote. However, Russia defended the integrity of the voting process, and a group of European observers, principally from right-wing and far-right political parties aligned with Putin, said the referendum was conducted in a free and fair manner

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annexation_of_Crimea_by_the_Russian_Federation

Vladimir Putin’s own Council on the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights has confirmed that the turnout for the so-called “referendum” on the Crimea’s status was much lower than reported, and the results also far less overwhelmingly in favour of joining Russia. The same results have been reported from other sources, however this report can hardly be dismissed as seditious US propaganda. The confirmation that Russia used falsified figures to justify the annexation comes on the eve of other supposed “referendums” planned for two east Ukrainian oblasts.

The report finds that while the overwhelming majority of residents of Sevastopol voted for joining Russian (turnout of 50-80%), the turnout for all of Crimea was from 30-50% and only 50-60% of those voted for joining Russia.

Read more: http://khpg.org/index.php?id=1399238176

Per Putin's own council, the turnout was low and a slight majority of those voting in favor of annexation. Why didn't Russia just go with these results? Instead they falsified the vote and claimed that there was 80% turnout and 94% in favor of joining Russia? (I wonder why the "European observers, principally from right-wing and far-right political parties aligned with Putin" did not catch this discrepancy in the manner in which the vote was conducted?)

The answer perhaps: using the actual turnout and vote would mean that about 22% (55% of a 40% turnout) of eligible voters voted in favor of union with Russia. It is much more 'convincing' to some if the favorable vote comes from 75% (94% of an 80% turnout) of eligible voters even if the latter numbers are made up.