Putin’s party takes a hit
David Blackburn 5:48pm
Vladimir Putin’s party has taken a hit in Russia’s parliamentary elections.
Reuters reports that the United Russia party took 48.5 per cent of the votes, down from 64 per cent in 2007. These
results are far from reliable: the BBC reports Russia’s independent election monitoring group has already recorded more than
5,300 complaints of malpractice. But television pundits have been keen to present this election as a referendum on the Russian prime minister, as he paves his way back to the Kremlin.
Whatever the precise result, though, the early picture suggests that Putin’s subversive opponents – described by Pavel Stroilov in these pages earlier in the year – have weathered persecution to knock the Muscle Man.
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salieri
December 4th, 2011 6:04pm Report this commentNever mind, the Russians can always follow our illustrious European example and be offered the chance to carry on voting until they reach the right result.
DK, where art thou?
wrinkled weasel
December 4th, 2011 6:08pm Report this commentIn a country where assassins are turned into victims and independent organisations are routinely raided and when businessmen are sent to prison for "corruption" HA!, you can expect the thug Putin to do everything he can to maintain an iron grip on his empire.
I don't expect the result of the election will reflect reality.
TrevorsDen
December 4th, 2011 6:29pm Report this commentI was just going to say Mr WW that he will have to put a few more people in jail.
But as for electoral fairness - we are not brilliant. Look at the seats labour get compared with the conservatives for the same vote share.
daniel maris
December 4th, 2011 6:35pm Report this commentIf the URP have really taken a hit we will see Putin react as Mugabe did by dismantling democracy entirely.
Putin is the enemy of democracy and our enemy.
Roy
December 4th, 2011 7:48pm Report this commentLike the now British public, the Russian people speak through an iron mask.
Austin Barry
December 4th, 2011 8:11pm Report this commentThe way to avoid troublesome elections is to cede control to remote unelected bodies like the EU.
David Lindsay
December 5th, 2011 12:36am Report this commentHe is not "our enemy", daniel maris. Whether or not he is "the enemy of democracy", whatever that means. And the alternatives to him are what, exactly? The totally unreconstructed Communist Party of the Russian Federation, which looks to have done well this time. The Islamist terrorists of the South. The National Bolsheviks beloved of the BBC, their flag that of the Nazis except that a black hammer and sickle replaces the swastika. Which of those would you prefer, and why?
Frank P
December 5th, 2011 12:36am Report this commentAustin Barry (8.11pm), as ever, nails it! And the nail is, of course, made of 24 carat irony.
He gets my vote for the one-liner of the year - and the Wall has thrown up some good ones throughout 2011.
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