Siberian surprise for Putin and co.
Vladimir Putin has some cause for concern following regional elections
Photo: Radio Netherlands Worldwide
Russia’s ruling party United Russia have suffered setbacks in regional elections. The elections, set against a backdrop of job losses, price hikes and economic woes, saw United Russia win less than half the vote in some polls and the mayoral election in the Siberian city of Irkutsk.
On Sunday over 32 million Russians went to the polls in a series of local elections across the country. Although the Vladimir Putin led United Russia party won pretty much every election, including the 8 regional parliament votes, the victory was not as sweeping as they had hoped.
In some regions, party support fell by nearly 25% support and in Irkutsk, a city of over a half million people, they were trounced by Communist-supported candidate Viktor Kondrashov in the mayoral election.
Close attention was being paid to the regional elections following January’s protests in the Kaliningrad region, which attracted 10,000 protesters upset at recent price hikes.
The fairness of the election is also being scrutinised. Liliya Shibanova is the head of Golos, an independent election monitor. She said there has been no improvement on earlier polls and claims: "If anything United Russia is being more aggressive towards its opponents than before.”
Federal election officials are however maintaining that the Russian elections are more open than any in Western Europe.
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