Putin-backed United Russia party set to win tightly controlled wartime parliamentary elections with 57.5% vote
Russia’s ruling United Russia party, which backs President Vladimir Putin, is set to win the country’s State Duma elections with 57.5 per cent of the vote, according to initial results released after the three-day voting process ended on Sunday.
According to CNN, final results are not expected before September 25. The election was held against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine, with voting taking place from September 18 to 20. The 450-seat State Duma, Russia’s lower house of Parliament, is being elected in the first parliamentary poll since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Election indication of public support for country’s military: PutinÂ
Putin has presented the election as an indication of public support for the country’s military and political course. “Your choice and determination will show once again that millions of people are backing our fighters and that we stand together, united by shared values, our historical memory, love for our Motherland,” Putin said ahead of the vote.
The elections were held in a tightly controlled political environment, with meaningful opposition to the Kremlin largely absent. Russia’s only registered anti-war party, Yabloko, was barred from participating in the federal party-list election by the Supreme Court last month.
Putin himself was not on the ballot and is not due to face a presidential election until 2030. United Russia had won 324 of the 450 seats in the State Duma in the previous parliamentary elections held in 2021.
The election also coincided with heightened military activity between Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine launched more than 1,000 drones towards Moscow and the surrounding region on Sunday, with Russian officials saying the attacks killed at least two people and damaged a major oil refinery.
The attacks came as Russia’s parliamentary vote entered its final day. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the strikes had been planned to disrupt the elections, although Ukraine did not independently confirm the claim.
56.66% voter turnout recordedÂ
According to the Central Election Commission, overall turnout stood at 56.66 per cent, while Moscow recorded high participation.
The outcome was widely expected given the absence of credible opposition, making turnout and the eventual distribution of the 450 Duma seats key indicators of the political environment.
The Kremlin is expected to use the election outcome to demonstrate domestic backing for Putin and his policies, including the ongoing military campaign in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Russian citizens living abroad also participated in the three-day voting process. In India, Russian Ambassador Denis Alipov cast his ballot in New Delhi, where polling facilities were established for Russian citizens. Five polling stations were set up across India, including in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and Goa.
The results are expected to be finalised by September 25, after which the composition of Russia’s next State Duma will become clearer.
(With ANI inputs)
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