The United Russia Party, led by Vladimir Putin, achieved a decisive victory in the parliamentary elections held on Monday. This election was the first voting since the start of Russia's military invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and was seen as an assessment of public support for what is referred to in Russia as a "special military operation."
Election Results Details
The Central Election Commission of Russia announced that with 95% of the votes counted, the United Russia Party secured 57.83% of the votes. Ella Pamfilova, the head of the commission, stated that based on preliminary results, the party will obtain 355 seats out of 450 in the Duma, representing an increase of 20 seats compared to the previous term and marking the strongest result in the party's history.
This election also for the first time included residents of four regions of Ukraine — Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhia — which have been illegally annexed by Moscow. Voting also took place in Crimea, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014. Kyiv has declared these votes illegal.
Criticism and Controversies
The presence of only pro-Putin parties and the ban on opposition parties participating in this election has drawn significant criticism. Some international observers had previously harshly criticized the electoral processes in these regions. Poor economic conditions, rising prices, and the suppression of political and internet dissent were also evident during the elections. Rumors about the possibility of a new round of mobilization have also emerged following the elections.
Additionally, the Russian Election Commission announced that Ramzan Kadyrov, a close ally of Putin, was elected as the leader of Chechnya for the fifth time with 99.85% of the votes. This percentage shows a slight improvement from the 99.73% he received in 2021. Kadyrov's government has been accused of widespread human rights violations, including targeting journalists and LGBTQ individuals, which he has denied.
