For three days, around 45 million Russians are called to regional elections. Opposition candidates were brutally suppressed. All current developments in the news ticker.
- Regional elections will be held in 80 Russian regions from Friday to Sunday.
- This news ticker on the regional elections in Russia is continuously updated.
Moscow – The people of Russia are called to vote. Voting on local parliaments and governors began on Friday (September 9) in more than 80 regions of the country with a population of 145 million. Regional elections are also taking place in the capital Moscow. According to the Interfax news agency, the election commission announced: “The election of city councilors has begun in Moscow, voting can be carried out at the polling station or online.” More than 45 million Russians are called to vote.
Regional elections in Russia: opposition was suppressed
These elections are taking place under the shadow of the war of aggression against Ukraine launched by Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin. More than six months ago, Russian troops marched into Ukraine, and the war there has been smoldering ever since. According to Russian opinion polls in May, a large part of the population continues to support their president and the so-called “special operation” in Ukraine.
Critics fear manipulation of Russian regional elections
However, the preparation of the regional elections was characterized by great pressure. The opposition was suppressed and kept small to an unprecedented degree. Candidates who openly opposed the war were barred from voting in the first place. The election runs from Friday to Sunday (September 11th) and is partly conducted online.
In 2020, ballots were held for the first time to limit the rush and the associated risk of corona infection. Critics see this as another means of manipulating the results. And activists also fear manipulation, since the ballot boxes would be stored for a long time before the counting, making it easier for the votes to be falsified.
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