Polls have closed in Russia’s first parliamentary elections held since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. President Vladimir Putin has framed the vote as a referendum on support for the ongoing conflict, with the ruling United Russia party expected to maintain its dominance in the State Duma.
The Central Election Commission reported a turnout of 56.66 percent as of the close of polls. While initial results indicate a comfortable lead for the ruling party, official final results are expected on Monday morning. The election process involved 111 million eligible voters, including residents in Crimea and four Ukrainian regions currently under Russian control. The European Union and the government in Kyiv have denounced the voting in these occupied territories as illegal, with the EU describing the action as a violation of international law.
The election took place amid significant security challenges. Russian officials reported that Ukraine launched a large-scale drone attack targeting Moscow and other regions. According to the TASS state news agency, the strikes resulted in at least three deaths in the Moscow region and two in the Russian-held portion of the Kherson region, including an election official. Authorities also reported disruptions to electronic voting systems and communication lines, though they characterized the overall electoral process as mostly smooth.
The political landscape of the election was marked by the absence of significant opposition. The liberal Yabloko party, which had publicly criticized the war, was removed from the ballot by the Supreme Court last month. Other anti-war figures have been imprisoned or forced to leave the country. The remaining parties on the ballot are considered part of the systemic opposition, which generally aligns with the Kremlin on key policy issues.
Russia did not invite election observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, with the Foreign Ministry citing concerns over double standards. The State Duma consists of 450 seats, with half determined by party lists and the remainder contested in single-seat constituencies.
Article source: www.aljazeera.com | Image credit: www.aljazeera.com