On March 18, Russia held its presidential election. Sputnik spoke with Dragana Trifkovic, head of the Belgrade-based Center for Geostrategic Studies, about her experience as an observer during the vote in the Crimea.
Sputnik: Please, tell us about your experience as an observer at the Russian presidential elections. What is your impression about it?
Dragana Trifkovic: I was observing the presidential elections in Crimea, along with two other delegates from Serbia. Apart from us in the international team of observers in Crimea, there were delegates from Germany, USA, Austria, Pakistan, Italy, Venezuela, Finland, Latvia, Afghanistan, Malaysia and other countries.
The general impression is that the elections occurred in a good atmosphere and were conducted in a highly transparent manner. At any moment, anyone could follow the course of the elections through video surveillance, as well as the process of counting votes after the closure of polling stations.