| Submit your comments on this article |
| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| It's election day in Russia |
| 2016-09-18 |
| Voting has begun in earnest in Russia's parliamentary election, dominated by President Vladimir Putin's supporters. Far Eastern regions were the first to vote in a country spanning 11 time zones. The last parliamentary elections in 2011 were followed by mass protests as evidence of ballot box fraud emerged. For the first time, Russia is holding elections in Crimea, which it annexed from Ukraine in 2014 in a move condemned internationally. Voters will choose 450 MPs in the State Duma (lower house), for the next five years. The outgoing Duma had just a handful of MPs opposed to Mr Putin. |
| Posted by:badanov |
| #9 ...in America, its millionaire football players trashing the game's ticket buyers. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2016-09-18 17:01 |
| #8 Funny anecdote: (Not so funny for the victim): Russian military journalist Aleksandr Kots posted a video of a crowd of Ukrainians jumping and beating a Russian emigre in Kiev who appeared at the Russian embassy to cast his vote in the elections. Turns out the victim was going there to vote against Putin's ruling party. |
| Posted by: badanov 2016-09-18 15:57 |
| #7 The leaders of Rodina have said the election was free and fair nationwide. |
| Posted by: badanov 2016-09-18 15:51 |
| #6 According to a Russian blogger one of three Russian communist parties failed to make the three percent threshold to remain a viable political party in Russia. Most disappointingly, IMMHO is the Russian nationalist Rodina also failed to make the cut for a second time in a row. Results will be posted tomorrow. |
| Posted by: badanov 2016-09-18 15:48 |
| #5 From the translation: According to the preliminary results of the elections, on the basis of treatment 9% of the ballots, the federal district "United Russia" received 45.33% of votes, the Liberal Democratic Party - 17.65%, CPRF ??- 16.98% "Fair Russia" - 6,39%. Among other parties to vote as follows: "Apple" - 1.38%, "Homeland" - 1.45%; "The Communists of Russia" - 2,85%; Russian Party of Pensioners - 2.12%, growth of the Party - 1.08%. "Green" got 0.81% of votes, Civic Platform - 0.29%; Parnas - 0.69%. Civil Force gained 0.14%, Patriots of Russia - 0.69%. According to the preliminary results of voting in single-mandate constituencies out of 111 districts where ballots have been processed, at 105 the first place took the "United Russia". In two districts the ruling party won, respectively, second and third place. Communist Party won in two constituencies. In 54 districts of the Communists gained second place in the 26 - the third. The Liberal Democratic Party won the first place in five districts, the second - in 26, and the third - in 51. "Just Russia" won the three counties, finishing second in 18 and third place - in 17 districts. My commentary: It would appear that Vladimir Zhirinovskiy's party has drawn even with the communists, who were in 2nd place in the Duma. With these kinds of numbers, however, it means very little. Vladimir Putin's coalition will run the show for another five years, it would appear. |
| Posted by: badanov 2016-09-18 15:43 |
| #4 It appears United Russia got between 45 and 48 percent of the vote, while the Communist party got 16 percent and Zhirinovskiy's national party got 14 percent. We won't know the actual composition of the Duma until later. Of course, United Russia will have the major plurality, but it doesn't have a majority. Turnout was 40 percent average nationwide, lower than in 2011. It was less than 20 percent in Moskva and Saint Petersburg. |
| Posted by: badanov 2016-09-18 15:13 |
| #3 Word is Putin's "United Russia" coalition won. No word on how many seats. |
| Posted by: badanov 2016-09-18 14:46 |
#2 You gotta admit "Putin or Polonium" is a catchy campaign slogan.
| |
| Posted by: Matt 2016-09-18 12:11 |
| #1 Winners were announced yesterday |
| Posted by: Frank G 2016-09-18 11:33 |