The election campaign promises to be special this year. The significance of the State Duma elections for the future of Russia and the activity of political forces determine the intensity of the struggle for votes, including those in military uniforms. In these circumstances, it is important to ensure the exercise of the electoral rights of military personnel, while not allowing the politicization of voters in uniform, dragging them into political pre-election "showdowns".

I probably won't be mistaken if I say that the Moscow Military District is at the forefront of the pre-election battles for the sympathies of the "man with a gun". Due to its location, it is precisely its parts that are most actively attacked by candidates for deputies, their proxies, representatives of electoral associations, political parties and organizations. It is here that the forms and methods of work on the preparation and conduct of elections are first tested.

Recalling the previous elections to the State Duma, Major General Yuri Pronin, Head of the Educational Work Department of the Moscow Military District, noted that in 1995, the voters-military personnel of the Moscow Military District showed high civic activity:

- Apparently, the work carried out on the eve of the elections within the framework of the Federal Target Program for improving the legal Culture of voters had an impact. It was taken very seriously. Commanders, military lawyers, and educational officers regularly introduced voters, especially young people, to the electoral legislation, the procedure for holding elections, the legal features of exercising the electoral rights of military personnel, the powers of deputies of the State Duma and its place in the system of state authorities in Russia. The voters of military units always had the opportunity to get qualified answers to their questions.

Explanations of the Central Election Commission on the procedure for exercising the electoral rights of military personnel played an important role in solving organizational issues. This normative act made it possible to find acceptable, legally impeccable solutions and correct approaches to organizing work during the pre-election period. In particular, we are talking about the provisions of the Law of the Russian Federation "On Defense", which exclude the activity in military units of public organizations pursuing political goals, conducting any political campaigning on their territory, including pre-election campaigning.

Election organizers in the district have gained the practice of providing information support for the electoral process, free from political bias. Military personnel located directly in military units had access to official information, could get acquainted with the biographies of candidates for deputies, election programs of electoral associations, and make an independent and informed choice...

It should be noted that the Moscow Military District almost annually participates in the preparation and conduct of elections. Over the past three years, military personnel and their families have had to elect deputies to the Moscow Regional Duma and local self-government bodies. There is a certain system of preparation for the elections, which makes it possible to ensure the implementation of the electoral rights of military personnel. What is its essence?

"Preparation for the elections," says Colonel Pyotr Yemelyanov, Deputy chairman of the district's working group, " begins with receiving a directive from the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, which reflects the issues of organizational and technical support for the elections. For example, having received the directive of the Chief of the General Staff of November 13, 1997 on organizational and technical support for the election of heads of administrations and legislative bodies of state power of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation in the district, by order of the district commander, we resumed the work of district commissions, associations, formations and units to ensure elections. The district commission was charged with organizing interaction with the working group of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, election commissions of constituent entities of the Russian Federation on ensuring the rights of military personnel and their family members. Members of the working group drew up detailed plans for measures to improve the legal culture of voters and election organizers in the regions. A system of informing the police about registered candidates was established. The officers of the working group took special control over the consideration of appeals from election commissions and voters on issues related to the competence of the command of military units and institutions. During the preparation for the elections, the commanders were assisted in organizing the registration of voters.

Among the important tasks of commanders and staffs during this period was the compilation and refinement of lists of military voters, and educational bodies-planning and carrying out measures to improve the legal culture of voters. For this purpose, classes were held in the system of public and state training, training sessions, classes with election organizers in units to study the legal aspects of the electoral process and the specifics of the participation of military personnel and their families in elections.

To better understand what was happening in the army at that time, the author of these lines visited one of the formations of the Moscow District-the Guards tank Kantemirovskaya division, met with responsible officials and ordinary voters. Here's what they said.

Guards Colonel Nikolai Perepecha, Deputy Division Commander for Educational Work:

- I will start with a question of questions - the relationship of electoral blocs, associations, initiative groups of voters, representatives of candidates with the army electorate. The law explicitly prohibits any political campaigning, including pre-election campaigning, on the territory of military units. Therefore, representatives of political parties and associations who asked us to allow them to speak to military personnel and their family members, we correctly refused. Outside the territory of military units-please. In their free time outside the military camp, voters in military uniforms are free to decide for themselves which election events they attend. Unfortunately, many participants in the election campaign did not know too well the specifics of the legal status of military personnel. Therefore, we explained the requirements of the laws to representatives of political parties, other candidates, and their representatives in local authorities. We have developed good relations with the leadership of the Naro-Fominsk district of the Moscow Region. On the eve of elections, we usually organize interaction with them, coordinate measures to improve the legal culture of voters with the relevant election commissions.

Thus, during the preparation period for the Moscow Regional Duma elections in 1997, with the permission of the district commander, meetings were held with candidates for deputies of the Moscow Regional Duma in the garrison outside the closed territory of the military camp. Moreover, all seven candidates for the district in which military voters were to vote presented their programs to the military personnel. The working groups on organizational and technical support of the elections, created during each part, organized their work in strict accordance with the regulations. With the funds allocated by the local administration, electoral corners were equipped in the garrison House of officers, in units. The actual voting took place at general polling stations, so the unit did not require much material resources. There were about 20 police stations in the city. In six of them located nearby, our servicemen voted.

40 days before the election, the commanders of the units compiled lists of voters - military personnel who are in the military unit, their family members and other voters living in the area where the military unit is located. In agreement with the precinct election commission, representatives of military units were included in its composition. Together with members of the working groups, they ensured that military personnel, their families and other voters were included in the lists, organized familiarization with them, and notified the personnel and residents of the military camp about the day and place of voting.

Guards Lieutenant Colonel Pyotr Ruzanov, Chief of Staff of the Tank Regiment:

- In accordance with the order of the division commander, a working group was created in the regiment to prepare for the elections. It was headed by Lieutenant Colonel Andrey Grin. In the leisure and information rooms, members of the working group created voter's corners, where they had all the necessary information about candidates for deputies - their biographies and election programs, as well as documents and laws defining the voting procedure, explaining their rights and obligations to military voters.

During the period of preparation for the elections, a question and answer evening was held in the garrison House of Officers with the participation of candidates for deputies and the command of the garrison. During the event, servicemen and their family members asked questions, raised specific social problems that, in their opinion, candidates for deputies could solve in the future.

On the eve of election day, military personnel in each unit were once again reminded of the time of voting and the order of going to the polling stations. I believe that such an organization made it possible not to create crowds at the polling stations and gave every serviceman-voter the opportunity to think again in a calm atmosphere about who to vote for.

Guards Captain Dmitry Gridnev, senior officer for the organization of public and state training and information of the tank regiment:

- In addition to the information that was placed on the stands of the voter's corner in the leisure and information rooms, we raised the legal culture of military voters during 4 hours of public and state training time. Some information about candidates for deputies was provided in the course of informing. An exhibition for the elections was organized in the part's library. There were also folders with programs and biographies of candidates for deputies.

During the period of preparation and elections to the State Duma, I was appointed a representative from our regiment to the precinct election commission. 20 days before the election, voters were notified about the time and place of voting. On election day, voting was held from eight to twenty-two hours. As a member of the election commission, I had my own table at the polling station and a list of voters-military personnel of our unit. Seemingly routine clerical work. But there is a very important point in it. Before issuing a ballot to a voter, it is necessary to make sure once again that it is correctly issued. Otherwise, if the votes are counted incorrectly, they will be declared invalid.

Guards Junior Sergeant Andrey Karpenko, commander of the Department of the anti-aircraft Division of the motorized rifle Regiment:

- As a serviceman, I will vote for the first time. As for the attitude of my colleagues to the upcoming State Duma elections, I would call it indifferent and cold. There are too many official concerns to think about. Like the majority of our people, military personnel no longer believe that they can influence the future of the country with their votes. The constantly deteriorating situation in the economy has given rise to such sentiments...

Guards Private Nikolai Drozhzhin, senior traffic controller of the commandant's company:

- I understand that as a citizen I must participate in the electoral process. "Na grazhdanka" took an active part in it when the president was elected. But now I don't even know. As for my comrades, the soldier is not interested in politics...

Is it worth sounding the alarm about the fact that military personnel are indifferent, indifferent to the election campaign?

"Can you imagine what would happen," Major Alexander Kiesewalter, the assistant regiment commander for legal affairs of the Guards, tried to predict the situation, " if the troops became a politically active force? And even in today's situation, with a multi-party system. Where could their slogans and rallies lead them?..

There is no doubt: it is not a soldier's business, not an army one, to hold a rally. And the commanders are right to protect their subordinates from attempts to politicize them. However, let's look at the election campaign from a completely different angle, not at all political. After all, this is the time when, as the press writes, we, ordinary voters, are being started... love and respect those who go to power. This means that this is a favorable time for solving many purely everyday problems of military personnel. For example, during the preparation period for the previous elections (both to the State Duma, Regional Duma, and local self-government bodies), at meetings with candidates, military personnel and their family members gave them many instructions related to social problems. But the question is: did any of the voters ask the deputies about their implementation?

- We gave a lot of instructions to candidates for deputies, - complains the deputy division commander for educational work of the Guard, Colonel Nikolai Perepecha.

"But promises are still promises. Many of the candidates for deputies made their way to the authorities, sat down in "warm seats" and calmed down...

Surely the accusations against the elected representatives are fair. But after all, the military personnel themselves do not take any active measures. Here, in my opinion, indifference, as well as disbelief in the possibility of changing anything, should not have a place. It is known that water does not flow under a recumbent stone.

By the way, I will note to pessimists: now many deputies are again thinking about their future fate. Some of the people's deputies have already lifted the instructions of voters four years ago from the archives. A reminder about them may force you to expand work on these instructions. Unfortunately, uniformed voters do not take advantage of this favorable situation. Take, for example, the same Guards tank Kantemirovskaya division. There are a lot of problems in the garrison. At least transport. Regular buses run from the garrison to the city on an irregular basis. After the service, many officers have to hitchhike home and take minibuses. And with a meager officer's salary, they are not very easy to ride. Or the garrison store's supply of baby food, which leaves much to be desired. What can we say about helping the families of fallen officers? Many such questions have accumulated among the voters. So I would like to use the moment.

I recall my service in the Far East on this occasion. There, the head of the garrison in the period of preparation for the elections instructed to hang a box for questions to deputies at each checkpoint. And the residents of the garrison also had more than enough problems. Then the command asked the people's deputies to report on these issues, to tell how they fulfill the instructions of their constituents. Sometimes the People's Deputy did not look very happy after another evening of questions and answers. But a lot of things changed for the better in the garrison after that.

In the same Naro-Fominsk there is a deputy reception. But over the past three years, not a single serviceman has applied there for issues of concern to him. But the garrison has good relations with local authorities. And narofomintsy help the military personnel as much as possible. When there were problems with the resettlement of officers, the local administration gave the former pioneer camp for these needs. On the day of dedication of young lieutenants to the Guards, representatives of the administration presented cash prizes and gifts. Do not forget the military and on the days of their professional holidays. This means that there is a basis for interaction. And the fact that the opportunities offered by the pre-election period are not used is obviously due to the lack of activity of the military personnel themselves - voters.

I am not writing these lines to reproach the organizers of the work in the army. Heads of working groups, commanders and educators of the units of the unit do a lot to ensure that the voter in military uniform fully realizes his rights at the elections. I would like to emphasize that this is not about anyone's omissions, but about additional opportunities for solving social and everyday problems of military personnel and their families, which are not sinful to use. I have the courage to say that measures of this kind are yielding tangible results. And solving specific social problems helps people believe that their voices have real power, as they should in a real democratic country.