President Vladimir Putin's United Russia Party won the country's election despite fraudulent circumstances. Expect him to maintain power into the foreseeable future.

As expected, President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia Party has won a clear victory in the December 2, 2007 Russian Parliamentary Election. The victory comes amid charges of fraud, bribery, and intimidation.

Voting Results

With approximately 98.5% of votes counted, the results of Sunday’s election, by political party are (totals less than 100%):

• United Russia - 64.1%
• Communist Party of the Russian Federation - 11.6%
• Liberal Democratic Party of Russia - 8.2%
• A Just Russia Party (pro-Kremlin) - 7.8%
• Agrarian Party - 2.5%
• Russian Incorporated Democratic Party: Yabloko (Apple) - 1.7%
• Civil Force - 1.1%
• Union of Right Forces (SPS) - 1.0%
• Patriots of Russia - 0.9%
• Social Justice Party - 0.2%
• Democratic Party of Russia - 0.2%

Sixty-three percent of eligible voters turned out for the election, seven percent more than the 2003 Duma election.

New Duma Structure

The structure of the new, incoming 450-seat Duma will be (with number of seats):

• United Russia - 315
• Communist Party of the Russian Federation - 57
• Liberal Democratic Party of Russia - 40
• A Just Russia Party (pro-Kremlin) - 38

None of the other parties received at least seven percent of the vote, which is the required threshold to win seats in the Duma. United Russia won 16 more seats than they did in the 2003 election.

Fraud, Bribery, and Intimidation Charges

Reports from before and during the election paint a picture of fraud, bribery, and intimidation. Public sector workers around the country had been pressured and threatened to vote for United Russia or risk losing their jobs, accommodation, or bonuses. Doctors, educational workers and students were warned to vote for United Russia or face serious consequences.

Power station workers were forced to take absentee ballots to one particular polling station, where it would be easy to know who voted and how they voted. One woman said that United Russia activists came to her home and said if she did not vote for their party, she would be blacklisted, and “we know where you live and we are going to add you to that list.”

The most authoritative election monitoring group, Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, did not send observers. Russia delayed granting visas, making it impossible for the group to meaningfully assess election preparations.

Former world chess champion and current opposition leader Garry Kasparov declared the vote to be “the dirtiest in the whole history of modern Russia”.

Election Analysis

The results of this election are exactly what has been expected for months. Throughout the past year, President Putin has made decisions and political moves that would allow him to maintain power after he leaves office in March 2008. These results will allow Putin to become the nation’s next Prime Minister, under a President of his choosing.

Russian citizens and foreign observers are charging Putin with abuse of power. This could very well be true, but no one seems to have enough power to stop him. Putin will become Prime Minister and continue to run the country.

Putin is apparently honoring the Russian constitution by not taking a third consecutive term as President, but in four years, don’t be surprised to see him back in that office. Western nations may have hoped to see a change in Russian leadership, but now they will need to deal with Putin for a long, long time.

References

Bernstein, Jonas. “ UNITED RUSSIA ‘WINS’ A CONSTITUTIONAL MAJORITY IN THE STATE DUMA.” Eurasia Daily Monitor - The Jamestown Foundation. December 3, 2007.

“Four parties enter Russian State Duma.” Xinhua News Agency. December 3, 2007.

Harding, Luke and Tom Parfitt. “Fraud, intimidation and bribery as Putin prepares for victory.” Guardian Unlimited. November 30, 2007.

Isachenkov, Vladimir. “Foreign observers criticise Russian result.” Irish Examiner. December 4, 2007.

“Results From Russia Election.” Associated Press. December 3, 2007.

Weir, Fred. “United Russia wins, Putin sees 'moral mandate' in vote.” The Christian Science Monitor. December 4, 2007.