The head of the only Western observer mission monitoring Sunday's presidential election in Russia today criticised the Kremlin saying the electoral process was unfair.
Mr Gross said earlier this month he was concerned by the limited choice of candidates in Russia's election.
"Our statement on Monday will not be less tough than the one three weeks ago, because nearly nothing improved," Andreas Gross, the head of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly delegation, said.
President Vladimir Putin's protegé, Dmitry Medvedev, is expected to win the election easily, with recent opinion polls estimating his support at over 70 per cent, around 60 per cent ahead of the other three candidates.
Opponents complain Kremlin dominance over the airwaves and the use of government resources to help Mr Medvedev have left the campaign one-sided.
"Although it seems as if the Kremlin would have won even a free election, even a fair election, they did not allow it, that's the real point. Why does a power, who can be sure to stay in power, not really allow a free competition?" Mr Gross said.
"We always say that an election is a process of sometimes several years and several months and elections are much more than election day.
"Freedom means you can recognise your position in a candidate's position, you can express your political will and this has been avoided, this has been prevented from happening."