In September 2016, Vladimir Putin’s political party, United Russia, won yet another parliamentary
election.
The party overwhelmed its competition, getting about 54% of the vote, with the next two highest,
The Communist Party and the LDPR, receiving only 13% each.
This landslide victory is reminiscent of the 2011 elections, as well as all the general
elections since United Russia formed in 2001.
This year, the party’s parliamentary seat total is up to 343 out of 450, which is more
than enough to now be able to change the constitution.
With Putin such a controversial figure in international politics, how does his party
continue winning elections, and will it ever lose?
Well, the most obvious answer is that Russian citizens seem to love their president.
As the founder of the party, Putin’s power within United Russia is absolute.
Independent polling from August 2016 showed Putin’s approval rate hovering around 80%,
while in the United States, President Obama struggles to stay above 50%.
Even Russia-annexed Crimea, which was able to vote for the first time in Russian elections
this year, saw overwhelming support for Putin.
But this high approval rating may point less to Putin’s popularity, and more to the dangers
of not supporting the president.
Putin’s critics have been found dead under suspicious circumstances on more than one
occasion, and in one case, an opposition politician was openly assassinated in front of the Kremlin,
Russia’s seat of government.
Moreover, the independent polling agency, Levada, was recently registered as a “foreign
agent” by the government, potentially raising suspicion from Russian citizens, and barring
Levada from in depth political polling.
Additionally, Russian elections themselves are far from impartial or fair.
During the 2007 legislative elections, European observers noted intense pressure on all sides
for voters to vote for United Russia, saying “There was not a level political playing
field”.
Moreover, opposition politicians reported instances of ballot stuffing, bribery, and
coercion.
State-run media is heavily favored towards the party in power, and in 2014 a new law
came into effect allowing government officials to block so-called “extremist” websites.
However, a number of independent and opposition sites were taken down using the law.
This 2016 election echoed many earlier complaints.
One video showed an official shoving a stack of ballots into a ballot box, and in another
part of the country there were reports of people voting multiple times at different
voting stations, known as “carousel voting”.
Russia’s independent election monitor, Golos, said the election was "far from what could
be called really free and fair".
This year, voter turnout was exceptionally low, which many have pointed to as a sign
of voter apathy in the so-called “rigged” political system.
And despite introducing a new head of Russia’s Central Elections Commission in an effort
to end these unlawful practices, the newly appointed overseer said there was no reason
to invalidate the vote, despite calling the election “not sterile”.
So, will the party ever lose?
Well, with extremely threatening political pressure, a state run media with a bias, and
multiple examples of electoral fraud, it is far from surprising that Putin’s party continues
to grow in power and scope.
Now with the ability to change the constitution, it is likely that Putin will restrict elections
even further in an effort consolidate power.
But whether Russian citizens actually do or don’t support their president and his party
is practically unknowable.
So why exactly is Russian media so slanted towards coverage of Putin, and can that coverage
be trusted?
Watch this video up top to dive into Russian media as a whole.
You can also learn about why Putin’s approval rating might actually reflect how Russians
feel about their president to some degree, by watching the video down below.
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