by TOMI HAXHI
The Russian legislative elections of December 4, 2011 saw a significant decrease of public support for Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party. Winning the election with a mere 49.3% of the vote, United Russia’s numbers were down from 64.3% of the vote in 2007. The message is undoubtably clear; the Russian population’s seemingly unwavering faith in former President—and current Prime Minister—Putin is quickly waning.
United Russia won 238 seats to the State Duma – 10 more than necessary for an absolute majority – while losing its previous constitutional majority status. Whereas United Russia lost 77 seats, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation gained 35 seats, A Just Russia gained 26 seats, and the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia gained 16 seats. Voter turnout registered at 60.1%.
Since the December 4 elections, national and international critics have quickly come to question the legitimacy of United Russia’s victory.
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Twenty years subsequent to his resignation as Soviet president, Mikhail Gorbachev has also added to the debate. “The country’s leaders must admit there were numerous falsifications and rigging and the results do not reflect the people’s will,” he said. “In my opinion, disregard for public opinion is discrediting the authorities and destabilizing the situation.”
Former Soviet president Gorbachev went a step further in his attack, and demanded not only an election re-run, but for Prime Minister Putin to step down immediately. “I would advise Vladimir Putin to leave now. He has had three terms: two as president and one as prime minister. Three terms – that is enough,” Gorbachev said on Russian radio mere days after the election.
“There shouldn’t be a monopoly of power, we don’t need any tsars. He should do the same thing I did. That way, he would be able to preserve all the positive things he did.”
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(Thanks to Feroz Mehdi)