Elections in Russia: Putin’s party wins and is close to retaining parliamentary majority | With 30 percent of the vote, United Russia won 45.08 percent of the vote

President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party wins and would retain majority in Duma in a parliamentary election in which the Communist Party has been the great beneficiary of the erosion of the Kremlin and the persecution of the opposition led by Alexei Navalni. With 30% of scrutiny processed and a low turnout of around 45%, the ruling party won 45.08% of the vote, which supposes worst result since 2003 and a considerable loss of confidence compared to the 54.2% it collected in the 2016 legislative elections. the communists, second force in the Chamber of Deputies, obtained 21.88% of the vote, the best result since 1999.

Most of the so-called radical opposition candidates in the Kremlin were unable to participate in the elections due to various obstaclescharges of extremism to the possession of assets abroad. The Secretary General of United Russia, Andrei Turchak, assured during a ceremony at the party’s headquarters in Moscow that President Putin’s party had won “a clear and honest victory”. For his part, the mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin, celebrated the partial result of elections “decisive for the future of the country”.

Five parties will enter the Duma which managed to cross the five percent barrier, one more than in the previous legislature. The pro-government and communists are followed by the Liberal Democratic Party (PLDR) of ultra-nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovski with 8.37% of the vote, the Social Democrats of Russia just with 7.39% and the center-right party New People who reached 6.36%. voices. These parties tend to support United Russia in voting on the most important issues.

The result obtained by the ruling party would guarantee an absolute majority in Parliament because, in addition to being at the top of the list, their candidates won the majority of the 225 majority constituencies. Russian analysts predict that with 45% of the vote and a victory in 190 constituencies, United Russia can renew the constitutional majority, that is, more than 300 seats out of 450 seats in the Duma.

Complaints for fraud

A few minutes before the closing of schools in the European part of the country, communists denounce fraud and they demanded criminal proceedings against the “forgers”. The Central Election Commission (CEC) and the Interior Ministry downplayed violations, arguing that they do not influence the final outcome of the elections. The communist leader, Gennadi Ziouganov, however noted that it is only with “traps” that United Russia could obtain a constitutional majority.

According to the organization Golos, which watches over voters’ rights, the main problem of “national significance” was the “forced” vote of military and civil servants, fraud in house voting and attempts to prevent observers from voting. work. . In any case, preliminary data does not hide the wear and tear that the party has suffered after 20 years in power.

Social discontent with the coronavirus pandemic and the country’s economic situation (with year-on-year inflation of 6.68 percent in August and 17.8 million citizens with incomes below subsistence level) weighed in at the polls.

A necessary victory for Putin

The President of Russia needed a majority that allow you to show your support for your policies in the Duma at the end of your term in 2024 and decide to run for office in order to stay in power until 2036. The ruling Russia could not risk losing the majority, and that is why Putin adopted a series of redistributive measures ahead of the election, including more benefits for the military, retirees and families with children.

But the Russian authorities have also launched a campaign of persecution against the extra-parliamentary opposition led by imprisoned Navalni., whose political movement had been called “extremist” months earlier. With the exception of the liberal Yábloko party, the opposition in the Kremlin could not participate in the elections.

Particularly boring for the Kremlin was the “Smart Vote” designed by Navalni to dislodge candidates from United Russia, recommending the candidates most likely to beat the official representative in each constituency. Despite the blockade of Google, Apple and Telegram, this strategy enabled alternative candidatesFrom communists to liberals defeat the ruling party in cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg.