Europe's main election watchdog said it had cancelled plans to monitor Russia's December 2 parliamentary election, citing delays and restrictions imposed by the Russian authorities.

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation's (OSCE) ODIHR arm, which runs election monitoring missions, said it took the decision after Russia denied entry visas to observers it wanted to send to Russia.

"The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, ODIHR, has informed the Russian authorities that the Office will be unable to act upon their invitation to observe the upcoming December 2 elections to the Russian State Duma," it said in a statement.

A Russian foreign ministry spokesman told Russia's Interfax news agency it was every country's right to decide whether or not they sent observers to the vote.

The decision to cancel the monitoring mission came a day after Russia said it would give visas to ODIHR monitors in time for the vote, after blaming the OSCE for delays in obtaining them.

"Despite repeated attempts to attain entry visa into the Russian Federation for ODIHR experts and observers, entry visas have continuously been denied," the ODIHR said.

Russia invited only 70 OSCE monitors for this year's parliamentary election, compared to 400 in 2003.

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Putin = Lenin wannabe. Poor Russia still can't shake that commie hangover.

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