Moscow, Sept 20. (dpa/GNA) – Russia is holding a parliamentary election from Friday to Sunday, with the tightly controlled vote set to hand a victory to the ruling United Russia party.
The election, which critics have already branded unfair, is widely seen as a referendum on the continuation of President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, now well into its fifth year.
Putin has called the election a “collective contribution to Russia’s victory” against Ukraine. United Russia, which has governed for more than 20 years, is expecting a two-thirds majority despite a massive economic crisis, war fatigue and public discontent.
Dozens of war veterans are standing as candidates for the party. The opposition has been barred from running.
Following the exclusion of the anti-war party Yabloko, a total of 10 parties loyal to the Kremlin and supportive of the war are set to appear on the ballot.
More than 110 million Russians are eligible to vote for 450 members of the parliament, or State Duma, in Moscow. Occupied territories included for first timeAgainst Ukraine’s wishes, the election will also be held for the first time in the Russian-controlled parts of the annexed Ukrainian regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson.
The Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, annexed in 2014, is participating for the second time.
Alongside the Duma election, members of regional parliaments are also being elected in eight regions.
Around 2,200 elections at various levels of government are taking place, according to the electoral authority.
GNA