Russian Parliamentary Elections Enter Final Day

The parliamentary elections, which President Vladimir Putin has described as a test of support for Russia's war in Ukraine, entered their third and final day on Sunday. The ruling United Russia party is expected to maintain its dominant position in a political system that, according to critics, does not tolerate dissenting views.

Most anti-war candidates were barred from running. Candidates who ran for the liberal Yabloko party, which has polled in single digits in recent years, said they feared for their freedom after courts sentenced two senior party officials to long prison terms even before the vote over comments they made about the conflict. The courts deemed the comments illegal.

Discrediting the military or spreading what the authorities deem fake news is punishable by lengthy prison sentences.

The Kremlin argues that national unity and a certain degree of censorship are necessary during what it calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine.

It portrays the conflict as part of an existential struggle against a hostile West and claims that Ukrainian intelligence services and other enemies are stepping up efforts to stir up unrest in Russia.

(Reuters)