Press
The Russia election is considered a farce. Nevertheless, the opposition wants to diminish the result for Putin. But the Kremlin is countering this – with fake news.
Moscow – One president, hardly any serious opponents: the Russian election, which is overshadowed by allegations of fraud and manipulation, is on the line Wladimir Putin actually already confirmed as the winner. Nevertheless, the opposition has called for protests – and is once again being targeted by the Kremlin henchmen. The infamous troll factory is said to have tried to torpedo the Putin opposition's boycott call by spreading fake news on social networks.
Election in Russia: Troll factory attacks “Lunch against Putin” campaign with fake news
According to a report by the Novaya Gazeta Europe popped up on social platforms Russia More and more news appeared informing about an alleged postponement of the “Lunch against Putin” campaign. The call for the last day of the Russia election was started by the team of the late Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny. Its employees called on the Russians on Thursday (March 14) not to believe the forgeries and fake news. The action will take place as planned, the media report said.
Manipulation in the presidential election in Russia is considered likely
The presidential election in Russia starts on Friday (March 15th) and is scheduled to last until March 17th. Putin will most likely secure his fifth term in office. Kremlin opponents are calling for the result not to be recognized because democratic standards are no longer being met. Independent observers point to fraud and manipulation. Serious Russian opposition members are either not allowed to vote, have fled abroad or are in prison camps. Putin has no real opponents in the election.
“Lunch against Putin”: Navalny’s widow calls for active participation in the Russian election
With a view to the elections in Russia, the widow of Kremlin opponent Alexei Navalny, Yulia Navalnaya, has already spoken of a “hoax”. In a video recently shared on YouTube, she called for a protest against Putin aimed at overloading the polling stations. “We have to go to the polling station at the same time on the same day: March 17 at 12 p.m.,” Navalnaya said, urging voters in Russia to vote “for any candidate except Putin” or cast an invalid vote. One possibility: “You can write 'Navalny' in large letters.”
Her husband died in a Russian prison camp for unknown reasons. International observers, including several heads of state from the West, accused Putin's Kremlin of being the mastermind of a targeted political murder. Nevertheless, Navalny had started the campaign himself from captivity before his death.
In February he had a post distributed via his X account through his lawyers. The protest, a series of flash mobs across the country, would be nationwide, legal and relatively safe, the US news magazine cited Politico from the message. “Well, what can they do?” Navalny added. “Are they going to close the polls at 12 p.m.? Will they organize an action in support of Putin at 10 a.m.? Are they going to register everyone who comes at lunchtime and put them on the unreliable list?”
Everyone against Putin: opposition movement too weak in the 2024 Russian election?
But what can the campaign achieve? This will not prevent Putin from winning the 2024 Russian election. Apparently you see it that way in the Kremlin too. Putin's strategists are confident that the opposition rally “Noon against Putin” will not become a serious problem, the independent news platform quoted Meduza an anonymous source from the Kremlin environment. “There will probably be something noticeable in some areas of Moscow or another megacity. But in Russia as a whole? No,” the official said, according to the media report.
The opposition figure Sergey Biziyukin sees it similarly. For the majority of the population, the election in Russia seemed strangely staged, he said in an interview al Jazeera. However, any protests against the outcome of the Putin election would ultimately be “too divisive and too poorly organized,” he added.
Putin aims for historic results in Russian elections
Nevertheless, Putin doesn't want to leave anything to chance. Regardless of the expected outcome, Putin must achieve a good result. This is important for him to give his politics the touch of legitimacy, said political scientist Alexander Kynev MDR. According to reports, the target is a historic result beyond 80 percent. Particularly important is voter turnout. If this were to be low, it could be seen as a silent protest against the incumbent.
Given this background, it is not surprising that the Kremlin trolls have targeted the opposition campaign. And it is not surprising that Putin invested enormous effort in an election campaign. He gave in spite of that expected election victory and the poll numbers TV interviews and high-profile appointments. And one day before the start of the Russia election, he once again urged people to take part. (jkf)
#Putin #trolls #attack #opposition #action #Russia #election