Vladimir Putin’s ruling United Russia party has triumphed in parliamentary elections – albeit with a much lower share of the vote, prompting speculation that hispopularity is waning and his grip on power is weakening.
Amid allegations that the elections had been rigged to favour Russia First, there were news reports, that Russian protestors were being jailed.
The elections saw 110 million voters elect a new Duma, or lower house of parliament. United Russia achieved 49.5 per cent of the vote – down from 64 per cent in 2007.
The Communist Party of the Russian Federation, headed by the long-serving Gennady Zyuganov, came second with nearly 20 per cent, while A Just Russia, led by Sergei Mironov, the former chairman of Russia’s upper house of parliament, won
13 per cent, pushing the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, headed by the eccentric and flamboyant Vladimir Zhirinovsky, into fourth place with 11 per cent.
The Duma includes 238 deputies from United Russia, 92 from the Communist Party, 64 from A Just Russia and 56 from the LDPR.
While United Russia lost the two-thirds majority it previously enjoyed in the Duma, it nonetheless managed a slim majority which, along with its control of the upper house of parliament, means it will remain the dominant party in Russian politics.
Commenting on the performance of the party he heads, United Russia, Mr Putin said: “Two hundred and twenty six votes are required to pass laws; United Russia is to get 238 seats – this enables us to work calmly and consistently, ensuring stability.”
Meanwhile, concerns have been raised in Washington and London about the election result after the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe reported that there had not been a “level playing field” during the election for all of the parties and was slanted in favour of United Russia.
While the drop in support for United Russia is seen by some as a reflection on Mr Putin, the reality is that, as in
Soviet times, a Russian leader and the ruling party are distinct in the minds of many Russians.
It should also be noted that all the parties which are represented in the Duma are fiercely critical of the West and rather nostalgic for the power of the old Soviet Union. The Communists, the official opposition, fully support Mr Putin’s foreign policy and offer only token criticism of United Russia on domestic issues.
A Fair Russia and the LDPR, the latter believed to have been created by the KGB prior to the Soviet collapse, almost always support United Russia in parliament.
