Russia
For Putin to stay in power: presidential election has begun
Putin’s Russia is now more than just an authoritarian state, says Russian political scientist Andrei Kolesnikov: “There are definitely elements of totalitarianism or neo-totalitarianism.” photo
© Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP/dpa
In the middle of the war, Kremlin leader Putin wants to secure his power. The three-day presidential election is considered neither free nor fair. Moscow did not allow any real opposition candidates.
A controversial presidential election was held in Russia to ensure the Kremlin chief remained in power, with the exclusion of the opposition Vladimir Putin started. In the largest country in the world in terms of area, polling stations first opened in the far east, for example on the Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula.
The election, which is intended to ensure that the 71-year-old Putin remains in office for another six years, is overshadowed by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and massive allegations of manipulation.
Voting in the vast empire with its eleven time zones lasts until Sunday evening, when the last polling stations in Kaliningrad (formerly Königsberg) on the Baltic Sea close at 7 p.m. CET. The first forecasts are expected immediately afterwards.
Russian state pollsters have already predicted more than 80 percent of the vote for Putin, who has been in power for nearly a quarter century and is seeking a fifth term. That would be the highest result for him ever. Putin’s three competitors are not only seen as having no chance. They are also all in line with the Kremlin and sometimes directly support the incumbent. Applicants who spoke out against Putin’s war of aggression were not even accepted as candidates.
Opposition speaks of an “election farce”
The opposition speaks of an “election farce” that has nothing in common with a vote according to democratic rules. Election observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) are not invited this time.
The Kremlin also organized illegal sham votes in occupied areas of Ukraine over the three days. Ukraine protested against the votes held in violation of international law and called on the international community not to recognize the results. According to Russian figures, 4.5 million people are called to vote in the occupied parts of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson. Voting will also take place on the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014.
114 million people called on to vote
Russia puts the number of eligible voters living in other countries at around two million. According to the Electoral Commission, around 114 million people have been called upon to vote. In 2020, Putin had the constitution changed specifically in order to be able to run as a candidate again.