Washington, 1 November 1996 (RFE/RL) -- Nikolai Ryabov, chairman of Russia's Central Electoral Commission, has been invited to the United States to monitor U.S. presidential and congressional elections.
Ryabov was invited by the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFEC), a private, non-profit organization that supports electoral and other democratic institutions.
According to Michael Boda, a senior information specialist for IFEC, Ryabov will be observing the elections from the U.S. city of Los Angeles in the western state of California.
Ryabov is scheduled to meet members of the judicial branch, public officials and local Democratic and Republican Party representatives in Los Angeles.
Boda says Ryabov's discussions will focus on issues such as election administration, settling disputes, public information, and the role of observers. Ryabov will also be taken to various polling sites around the city during election day, November 5.
IFEC has bureaus around the world, including locations in Russia, Armenia and Ukraine.