Churov Proposes Not Recognizing Elections in US in Retaliation for Crimea

Vladimir Churov, head of Russia’s Central Election Commission (CEC), said he is shocked by the U.S. decision not to recognize the elections in Crimea. In response, he proposed reviewing the legitimacy of elections in certain parts of the U.S.

Yesterday, deputy spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State Marie Harf stated that the U.S. government would recognize neither the elections to local representative bodies and deputies to the republic’s State Council that occurred in Crimea on Sunday, nor their results.

The head of the Central Election Commission, commenting on the statement, said he is “astounded.” And he stated that he has asked the Russian Public Institute of Suffrage to organize monitoring of the midterm elections for the United States Congress. Special attention should be paid to voting in states such as Texas and New Mexico, remarked Churov.

“Somehow it seems to me something was amiss in the 19th century with the referendums on annexation. Let the Russian Institute of Suffrage carefully look into whether to recognize the elections in these states as legitimate,” mused Churov.

Let us recall that Texas, once part of Mexico, became an independent state in 1836 as the result of its victory in the war, but Mexico did not recognize it. In 1845, the Congress of Texas made the decision to become part of the United States.

During the press conference, he also offered to place a wager with the head of the Communist Party. CEC Chairman Vladimir Churov refused to accept the challenge made by Gennady Zyuganov, who promised him a case of cognac if he could name from memory all of the parties registered in Russia. In response, Churov suggested the Communist do the same for a crate of milk.