Russians Vote in First Duma Election Since 2021

Russia is electing a new State Duma from Friday, 18 September, through Sunday, 20 September, in its first parliamentary election since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, according to DPA.

United Russia, which is aligned with President Vladimir Putin and currently holds 310 of the Duma’s 450 seats, enters the election as the dominant force.

Putin described participation in the election as a “collective contribution to Russia’s victory” and linked the vote to national unity during the war. The anti-war Yabloko party was excluded from the proportional representation contest, although some of its candidates are running in single-member districts.

Other parties represented in parliament broadly support the war and frequently vote with United Russia on key issues.

Voting is also taking place in Russian-controlled parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, as well as Crimea.

Russia did not invite the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to observe the election. The organization said the absence of independent international observers reduces “transparency and public confidence”.

(mja)