Jubilee Post News & Views
Special Desk
Ballots have been locked and despite a clear drop in support, Vladimir Putin is looking to retain majority in parliamentary election.
An exit poll predicted a resounding victory for the ruling party. Kremlin’s most vocal critics were barred from running in the election, and there have been numerous reports of ballot stuffing and forced voting.
The election commission rejected the claims. In its initial set of results, the commission said that with 64% of votes counted, Putin’s United Russia had won nearly 48%, followed by the Communist Party with about 21%. United Russia had claimed victory a few hours after the polls closed on Sunday evening.
A senior United Russia official, Andrei Turchak, congratulated a crowd of supporters in Moscow on what he described as a clean and honest victory.
The partial results show that despite Putin’s party easily retaining its majority in parliament, it lost around one-fifth of its support.
In 2016, the party won 54% of the vote. The Communists saw their support grow by 8%.
Concerns over living standards and allegations of corruption from jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny have likely affected support for Putin’s party.
Many opposition politicians and activists had been barred from the ballot. First and foremost, supporters of the jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
The coronavirus pandemic was the official reason for spreading voting over three days. But critics say the extended poll lacks transparency and is open to abuse. Reports of voting irregularities have been coming in from across Russia.
The head of the election commission, however, said the criticism was part of a planned, deliberate campaign, well financed from abroad.
