United Russia wins record 349 State Duma seats — The Moscow Times
In Russia, an aggressor state, the United Russia party won 349 of 450 seats in the State Duma following parliamentary elections. This is a record result for the party: its previous high was 343 mandates in 2016, The Moscow Times reports.
The elections were Russia’s first parliamentary elections amid the full-scale war against Ukraine. The publication notes that the outcome was effectively predictable in Russia’s controlled political system, where genuine opposition was barred from the ballots and public criticism of the war is illegal.
Distribution of mandates
Central Election Commission chair Ella Pamfilova said that parties nominally in opposition also won mandates. Among them, the Communist Party received 37 mandates, the Liberal Democratic Party — 23, New People — 19, and A Just Russia — 17.
According to Pamfilova, 46 mandates were won for the first time by veterans of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that each of them would contribute to the initiatives they would deal with. Independent Russian media reported that several elected veteran lawmakers had been accused of war crimes in Ukraine.
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Turnout and voting abroad
The Central Election Commission estimated turnout at 59.8%, including voting organized by Russia in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. This is the highest figure in State Duma elections since 2011.
The election commission also reported that more than 280,000 Russians voted abroad at 333 polling stations in 152 countries. According to Pamfilova, United Russia received 58% of votes cast outside Russia.
Independent experts, according to The Moscow Times, called these elections the least competitive in Russia’s modern history. In August, Russia’s Supreme Court barred the liberal Yabloko party — the only registered political force that campaigned for peace — from participating in voting on party lists. The party’s candidates in single-member districts, according to the publication, faced obstruction, police detentions and disqualifications.
