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| Pro-Putin candidates suffer losses in Moscow elections | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Pro-Kremlin candidates have suffered losses in local elections in Moscow, as Vladimir Putin’s biggest critic hailed his campaign to encourage strategic voting. | Pro-Kremlin candidates have suffered losses in local elections in Moscow, as Vladimir Putin’s biggest critic hailed his campaign to encourage strategic voting. |
| Although the Russian president’s United Russia party retained its majority, its share of seats on the 45-seat city council was slashed from 40 to 25. The Communist party took 13 seats, up from five last time, while the A Just Russia party won three seats. Both parties are widely seen as part of the Kremlin’s “loyal opposition”. | Although the Russian president’s United Russia party retained its majority, its share of seats on the 45-seat city council was slashed from 40 to 25. The Communist party took 13 seats, up from five last time, while the A Just Russia party won three seats. Both parties are widely seen as part of the Kremlin’s “loyal opposition”. |
| All four candidates from Yabloko, Russia’s oldest liberal party, won their districts. Yabloko was the only genuinely independent party allowed on the ballot in Moscow. | All four candidates from Yabloko, Russia’s oldest liberal party, won their districts. Yabloko was the only genuinely independent party allowed on the ballot in Moscow. |
| United Russia’s candidates all ran as nominal “independents” in an apparent attempt to distance themselves from their increasingly unpopular party. An opinion poll published before the election by an independent thinktank indicated that United Russia was backed by just 11% of voters in Moscow. The state-run pollster said in April that Putin’s party was backed by 22% of voters in the Russian capital. | United Russia’s candidates all ran as nominal “independents” in an apparent attempt to distance themselves from their increasingly unpopular party. An opinion poll published before the election by an independent thinktank indicated that United Russia was backed by just 11% of voters in Moscow. The state-run pollster said in April that Putin’s party was backed by 22% of voters in the Russian capital. |
| Andrei Metelsky, who heads United Russia’s branch in Moscow, was the most high-profile of United Russia’s covert candidates to lose their seats on the council. | Andrei Metelsky, who heads United Russia’s branch in Moscow, was the most high-profile of United Russia’s covert candidates to lose their seats on the council. |
| The election followed a summer of protests in Moscow against the Kremlin’s refusal to allow candidates allied with Alexei Navalny, the prominent opposition politician, on to the ballot. More than 2,500 people were arrested amid chaotic scenes around Red Square. Reports said the Kremlin had banned the opposition candidates after internal polling had indicated they would win at least nine seats. | The election followed a summer of protests in Moscow against the Kremlin’s refusal to allow candidates allied with Alexei Navalny, the prominent opposition politician, on to the ballot. More than 2,500 people were arrested amid chaotic scenes around Red Square. Reports said the Kremlin had banned the opposition candidates after internal polling had indicated they would win at least nine seats. |
| Navalny, 43, responded by portraying the elections as a referendum on United Russia and Putin. He appealed to voters to cast their ballots for United Russia’s strongest challengers, even if they represented political parties that they would not normally vote for, such as the Communists. | Navalny, 43, responded by portraying the elections as a referendum on United Russia and Putin. He appealed to voters to cast their ballots for United Russia’s strongest challengers, even if they represented political parties that they would not normally vote for, such as the Communists. |
| Navalny launched a “smart-voting” website and app aimed at making it easy for candidates to identify the candidates able to inflict the most damage on United Russia at the polls. “We can say clearly that smart voting has worked,” he said after the results. | Navalny launched a “smart-voting” website and app aimed at making it easy for candidates to identify the candidates able to inflict the most damage on United Russia at the polls. “We can say clearly that smart voting has worked,” he said after the results. |
| Elsewhere in Russia, United Russia suffered a stunning loss in Khabarovsk, in the country’s far east, where the nationalist LDPR party won 34 out of 35 seats in the regional parliament. | Elsewhere in Russia, United Russia suffered a stunning loss in Khabarovsk, in the country’s far east, where the nationalist LDPR party won 34 out of 35 seats in the regional parliament. |
| Putin’s party fared much better at governor elections, however. Its incumbents all triumphed in the first round. Six of its sitting governors also ran as independents, including in St Petersburg. | Putin’s party fared much better at governor elections, however. Its incumbents all triumphed in the first round. Six of its sitting governors also ran as independents, including in St Petersburg. |
| There were multiple allegations of vote fraud, including a voting urn reportedly being stolen from a polling station in St Petersburg. State media said the elections were free and fair. Putin rejected suggestions that more candidates should have been allowed to stand, saying the quality of the candidates was more important than their quantity. | There were multiple allegations of vote fraud, including a voting urn reportedly being stolen from a polling station in St Petersburg. State media said the elections were free and fair. Putin rejected suggestions that more candidates should have been allowed to stand, saying the quality of the candidates was more important than their quantity. |
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