March 2018 Presidential Election in Russia
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20.03.2018-26.03.2018 • No: 156 7 MARCH 2018 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN RUSSIA During recent presidential election in Russia while influential state mass media networks number of votes in favor of Putin exceeding held on March 18, 2018, incumbent President were widely used to build a patriotic enthusi- 90%, namely, Crimea (92.15%), Tyva Vladimir Putin secured a vote of confidence by asm over the vote. It is worth noting that even (91.98%), and Sevastopol (90.19%). winning a landslide re-election victory. As a the election date was moved in advance from Putin’s nearest competitor, Communist Party result, 65-year-old Vladimir Putin will extend March 11 to March 18, the day when Russia candidate Pavel Grudinin, got 11.77% of votes, his rule as a head of Russia for another six celebrates its reunification with Crimea, which marking the worst ever result for Russia’s left- years until 2024. In fact, Putin has been presi- is widely recognized among Russian citizens wing party, while leader of the far-right Liberal dent since 2000, stepping aside for one term as as Putin’s greatest achievement. Finally, Democratic Party of Russia Vladimir prime minister in order to comply with the Putin’s annual state of the nation address to the Zhirinovsky got 5.65% of votes. The only can- Russian legislation, according to which presi- Federal Assembly held on March 1, 2018, the didate to openly and strongly criticize Putin dents in Russia can’t serve more than two con- format of which underwent a number of during the campaign, well-known media per- secutive terms. changes in connection with the presidential sonality and liberal political activist Ksenia Despite the fact that Putin’s re-election was election, was aimed at generating a deep sense Sobchak nominated by the Civil Initiative never in question, almost 109 million Russians of national pride and patriotism that was sup- Party garnered 1.68% finishing in the fourth who were eligible to vote at more than 97,000 posed to find its expression through the ballot place. She was followed by head of the Ya- polling stations nationwide had a choice of box. eight candidates. In fact, the recent election set Moreover, there was an additional external fac- bloko Party Grigory Yavlinsky (1.05%), Chair- the record for both the number of registered tor that helped to mobilize the turnout. Recent man of the Party of Growth Boris Titov candidates running for the presidency and the confrontation between Russia and the United (0.76%), Maxim Suraikin nominated by the number of applications submitted. The Central Kingdom over the poisoning of former double Communists of Russia Party (0.68%), and head Election Commission (CEC) of Russia has re- agent Sergei Skripal triggered a patriotic re- of the Russian People’s Union Party Sergei Ba- ceived 34 applications to run for the presi- sponse by Russian citizens. Being pressured by burin (0.65%). Despite a number of irregulari- dency, 16 of which were from the political par- London’s accusations that Russia was behind ties recorded at some polling stations across ties, while the remaining 18 were filed by self- the attack on Skripal, Moscow took advantage Russia, the CEC recognized the election as nominated candidates. However, the majority of the hype redirecting public attention to the valid. In a change from his position in the past, of applicants were denied registration, includ- voting process. As a result, the voter turnout at the president-elect met with his seven defeated ing opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who had the March presidential election reached presidential challengers in the Kremlin in order already been barred from running in the March 67.54%, close to the 70% ambition of the to map out his main priorities for the forthcom- elections de jure due to a criminal conviction Kremlin. Opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s ing presidential term, which would be focused in February 2017 for embezzlement, which appeal to boycott the election did not signifi- on improving the living standards of the Rus- many consider to be politically motivated. As cantly affect the situation. sian population by ensuring innovation devel- for Putin, he was registered as a self-nominated According to the CEC, Vladimir Putin has opment and economic growth. As a result, the candidate, and it was his third time running in- gained 76.69% of votes, showing his best elec- Kremlin has finally dotted the i’s and crossed dividually, while the ruling party United Rus- tion result compared to 53% of votes in the the t’s in regard to Russia’s internal and exter- sia, on behalf of which Putin was nominated in 2000 presidential election, 71% in 2004 and nal policies for the next six-year period. the 2012 election, extended its support to his 64% in 2012. 56.43 million voters out of 73.62 It could be concluded that despite Russia’s re-election. million people voted supported Putin’s candi- two-year recession amid lower oil prices and Unlike other candidates, Putin’s team did not dacy, which is about 10 million more than in the country’s deteriorating relations with the engage in traditional political campaigning 2012, when Putin faced a serious opposition during the pre-election period. The refusal to movement and massive protest marches that West Putin’s dominance over the domestic po- debate his opponents coupled with the lack of took place in Moscow and other large cities af- litical landscape has grown. The victory that clarity over the key message of his election ter a massive voter fraud at the December par- was widely predicted completes the concentra- platform clearly demonstrated that the major liamentary elections in 2011. Unlike the 2012 tion of power in his hands providing a neces- goal of Putin’s re-election campaign was not to election, where Putin won just 47% of votes in sary room for geopolitical and economic ma- hold an aggressive agitation, but to boost the Moscow, which is considered to be the main neuvers. Unless Putin decides otherwise and turnout in Russia, especially in the large cities. stronghold of the opposition, the 2018 election opts for constitutional changes, in 2024 Russia The incumbent president’s reportedly high rat- results show that the president-elect received will face the need to choose another leader that ing served as a factor supporting the shift in the the higher number of votes, gaining 70% of highlights the problem of the forthcoming focus of Putin’s campaign to ensuring a high votes in the capital city. Moreover, the regions power transit in the country. According to level of the voter turnout. In fact, even though of the so-called “red belt”, which comprise the some political analysts, during his fourth and, Putin did not release an official electoral pro- predominantly agricultural areas of central presumably, last term Vladimir Putin will most gram, the latest opinion surveys before the Russia, a number of the southern regions of Si- likely prepare his successor, with a person to election date showed that his support reached beria and the Far East, where the Communist be appointed as the prime minister as the most 69%, which particularly fit the Kremlin’s Party is traditionally strong, shifted their sup- probable candidate. In fact, it is already known “70/70” scheme, where the election turnout port to Putin. Similar to the previous elections, that the president-elect will announce the com- should reach 70% with 70% of all votes going the highest figures were recorded in the North position of the future government after his in- to Putin. Caucasus. Over 93.38% of voters supported auguration. On the other hand, there is still a In order to prevent the recurrence of the 2016 Putin in Kabardino-Balkaria, while the per- chance that Putin could decide to extend his parliamentary election situation, when the centage of Putin’s supporters in Chechnya and rule beyond 2024 by abolishing term limits or turnout dropped below 50%, the Kremlin pur- Dagestan amounted to 91.44% and 90.76%, re- by shifting into another position of power. sued a proactive policy. For instance, the CEC spectively. In addition to the North Caucasian hired consultants to help promote the election, republics, three more regions registered the Written by Lidiya Parkhomchik, Eurasian Research Institute, Kazakhstan Politics, Foreign Affairs and Security According to the state-owned company foreign currency exceeded $14.715 bil- Belarusian Railways, rail freight traffic lion, which is a 0.41% decrease. The According to the Central Election Com- between Belarus and Lithuania went up volume of monetary gold in the gold mission of Turkmenistan, the voter by 15% to 33.4 million tons in 2017. and foreign exchange reserves of Uz- turnout in the parliamentary and local Meanwhile, the number of people trans- bekistan decreased from $13.988 billion elections reached 91.69%. It was noted ported by international passenger trains to $13.621 billion. that over 3.2 million registered voters reached 285,900, which is a 4.7% de- According to the Oil Ministry of Iran, were able to vote at around 2,604 poll- crease compared to 2016. the country, on average, exported 2.6 ing stations that operated in the country During the fourth meeting of the Bela- million barrels of oil per day to Asian and 39 polling stations that were estab- rusian-South African committee on and European countries during the cur- lished at the diplomatic missions of trade and economic cooperation held in rent fiscal year. The daily exports in- cluded 2.115 million barrels of crude oil Turkmenistan abroad.