The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) wants to send at least 50 of its observers to Russia on February 15, five days before the date proposed by Moscow, in order to meaningfully monitor the election campaign. The body has threatened to boycott the election if the conditions are not met.
Sergei Lavrov told a news conference in Moscow: "This is an ultimatum. A self-respecting country never accepts ultimatums."
He also criticized the Warsaw-based ODIHR for "inventing its own rules" and being "absolutely non-transparent."
Lavrov expressed regret that in its dealings with Russia the organization has felt the need to "rigidly insist, I would even say impolitely, that they need to arrive a month in advance, when it's not clear what they'd spend that time doing."
The ODIHR boycotted Russia's parliamentary polls on December 2, citing visa delays and "unprecedented restrictions," and the OSCE subsequently declared the polls "not free and fair." However, observers from Russia and a number of former Soviet republics rejected the OSCE's report.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday: "The fact that the ODIHR is not ready to cooperate with Russia within the mandate fixed in an invitation submitted by our Central Election Commission is further proof that the OSCE's institution badly needs reform."
Russia's Central Election Commission (CEC) had earlier invited ODHIR observers to arrive in Russia from February 27-28, but after a request from the election monitor agreed to let 25 of the 70 observers into the country by the end of this week, and the remainder after February 20.
On Wednesday ODIHR spokesman Curtis Budden said a team of five technical experts would be sent ahead of the arrival of observers for the election. He said the five experts would have to find office premises, interpreters and drivers, and set up the necessary channels of communication.
The group was scheduled to travel to Moscow yesterday, after the Russian Embassy in Poland confirmed it had issued the first five visas. No official confirmation of their arrival has yet been issued.
Budden said the ODIHR would send another 18 observers, representing 15 countries, on Friday.
