Russia Opens 3-Day Duma Vote After Barring Last Anti-War Party
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Sep 18
Russia Opens 3-Day Duma Vote After Barring Last Anti-War Party
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Sep 18
Summary
Friday’s opening of Russia’s three-day State Duma election is expected to extend United Russia’s 23-year grip on parliament in a vote with little meaningful competition.
Last month’s exclusion of Yabloko, the only openly anti-war party, left only Kremlin-tolerated “systemic opposition” groups, while candidates ran muted campaigns and largely avoided discussing the war.
The Kremlin is keeping the election low-key to limit turnout among disaffected voters, while Putin has cast participation as proof that Russians stand behind the war in Ukraine.
Anxiety around the vote reaches beyond the result: Ukrainian drone strikes have brought the war deeper into daily life, and rumors of another mobilization have already pushed some young men to leave Russia temporarily.