Moscow: the Hague wants to discredit referendum

The Foreign Ministry in Moscow says that the Cabinet wants to bring into disrepute the referendum and people want to put that to the vote.

Spokesman Maria Zakharova points out that the number of voting booths in relation to Council and parliamentary elections significantly reduced. "The main goal of the campaign is to the population on all the possible ways to call not to go vote," said Zakharova.

The municipalities, which are responsible for setting up voice locations, want less booths Setup because of the relatively small budget for the referendum on april 6. Also the expected low turnout is involved.

' Total paranoia ' Zakharova further denounces "the total paranoia" about possible Russian interference in the referendum, which some media has speculated. "The Hague cuts down on a referendum in his own country, but does have one and a half million euros for the fight against the infamous ' Russian propaganda '," said Zakharova. She thinks that "all these steps" to the quorum of 30 percent is not reached and the outcome of the referendum so is not valid.

Moscow is also not to mention the financial support of 200,000 euros for the yes-camp of activist Joshua Livestro, that supports the trade agreement with Ukraine. That money comes from the American businessman George Soros. Zakharova says he's in the past "revolutions has supported".

Source: NOS.nl/© Reuters (http://nos.nl)