Starting in the Kamchatka peninsula at 8:00 am local time on Friday , polling stations are reported to remain open until 8:00 pm on Sunday in Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave bordering Poland and Lithuania.
The unfolds amidst a stringent crackdown that has severely restricted independent media and prominent human rights organizations, consolidating Putin’s control over the political landscape. Moreover, it coincides with the third year of Moscow’s involvement in the conflict in Ukraine.
This highly anticipated electoral event holds significant implications not only for Russia but also for the global community.
Anti-Putin groups clash with Russian troops in Belgorod, military plane crashes near Moscow
What does the election mean to Putin?
Vladimir Putin, poised for his fifth term if elected, would become the longest-serving leader since Joseph Stalin, extending his rule until 2036.
In anticipation of the polls, President Putin has urged Russians to participate actively and exercise their right to vote.
“It is necessary to confirm our unity and determination to move forward together. Each of your votes is valuable and significant. Therefore, I urge you to exercise your right to vote in the next three days. He said polling stations will be open in every city, town and village, reminding Russians that they are one family.” Putin said in a recorded video message, Tass news agency reported.
He further added, “Dear friends! All of us, the multinational people of Russia, are one big family. We will do everything exactly the way we want. Therefore, I ask you to come to the elections and express your civic and patriotic position, vote for your chosen candidate, for the successful future of our beloved Russia.”
Who are other challengers against Putin?
Nikolaĭ Kharitonov, aged 75, is a member of Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, and currently stands as the official candidate for the Communist Party. Despite consistently trailing behind Putin in elections since 2000, Kharitonov, hailing from Siberia, previously contested in 2004, securing 13.8 percent of the vote while Putin claimed 71.91 percent.
Leonid Slutsky, aged 56, holds a position in the State Duma and leads the ultra-nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR). Following the demise of its veteran leader, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, in 2022, Slutsky assumed leadership of the party.
Vladislav Davankov, aged 40, currently serves as the Deputy Chairman of the State Duma and represents the New People political party, established in 2020 with support from his businessman father. Notably the youngest candidate, Davankov has received several state awards, including recognition from Putin himself.
Not ‘free and fair’
His political adversaries are either imprisoned or living in exile abroad, with the most prominent among them, Alexei Navalny, having recently passed away in a remote Arctic penal colony.
The three candidates featured on the ballot are relatively unknown politicians representing token opposition parties that align closely with the Kremlin’s agenda.
The ability for independent watchdogs to observe the election process is severely limited, as only registered candidates or state-backed advisory bodies are permitted to assign observers to polling stations.
“The elections in Russia as a whole are a sham. The Kremlin controls who’s on the ballot. The Kremlin controls how they can campaign. To say nothing of being able to control every aspect of the voting and the vote-counting process,” said Sam Greene, director for Democratic Resilience at the Centre for European Policy Analysis in Washington.
“We know, given the track record of how votes are being prepared and organised in Russia under the current Kremlin administration and regime, how this will look like,” said European Union spokesman Peter Stano.
“It’s very difficult to foresee that this would be a free, fair and democratic election where the Russian people would really have a choice.”
NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg also said the ballot “in Russia will not be free and fair”.
“We know already that opposition politicians are in jail, some are killed, and many are in exile, and actually also some who tried to register as candidates have been denied that right,” he said.
Russian occupied Ukraine region to vote in Presidential elections
According to reports, voting is set to take place in the 27 Russian regions along with Crimea, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine a decade ago. Additionally, the vote will extend to Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson—territories annexed following the full-scale invasion in 2022.
However, Kyiv and Western nations have condemned the decision to conduct the vote in these regions. Early voting has already begun in certain areas and will be progressively rolled out in others.
‘ Null and void’
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has labeled the voting for Russia’s presidential election, occurring in Ukraine’s occupied territories, as illegal and invalid. They have urged international partners not to acknowledge the results.
In their statement, the ministry criticized Moscow for displaying “continued flagrant disregard for international law norms and principles” through its electoral campaign in the Russia-occupied territories.
( with input from agencies)