According to the Election Commission, almost all votes have been counted. United Russia, Putin’s backing party, is again the largest, but is also losing ground. The party received almost 50 percent of the vote, compared to more than 54 percent in the previous elections. The Communist Party got 19 percent. With this outcome, Putin has the support of more than two-thirds of parliament and constitutional changes can easily be made.
Fraud
Opponents and opposition parties accuse the authorities of large-scale fraud at the polls. Previously reported observer organization Golos that thousands of irregularities have been registered: from groups of officials mobilized to vote to a ballot box with a hidden back door in it.
The West is also critical. For example, the EU, the United Kingdom and the US say that the elections were not free. The British Foreign Office declares that democracy in Russia is taking a step back. EU foreign affairs chief Borrell says rules were broken and the election suffered from intimidation and the absence of observers.
Demonstrations against the election results were held in Moscow tonight.
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