Russia Election: Putin’s United Russia Wins Record 355 Seats

United Russia won a record number of seats in Russia’s lower house of parliament on the basis of near-complete official results. President Vladimir Putin had cast the three-day State Duma vote as a test of support for the war in Ukraine according to Reuters.

It was the first State Duma election since Russia began its full-scale war in Ukraine in Feb 2022. Voters also chose some regional parliaments and governors on the same days.

Critics say the system leaves little room for dissent, and many Yabloko candidates were barred. That left little scope for surprise. Analysts said the authorities wanted the vote to look orderly, while officials presented it as proof to Russia’s enemies that the country stood together.

Vote Results

With more than 95% of the vote counted, Ella Pamfilova, chair of the Central Electoral Commission, said United Russia had scored 57.83%, up from the 49.8% it won in the last parliamentary election in 2021.

United Russia was on course for 355 seats, almost 80% of the 450-seat Duma, once constituency results were included. That would preserve its constitutional majority and let it pass laws and propose constitutional changes without backing from other parties. The total would also set a new high, above the 343 seats it won in 2016.

Four other parties made it into parliament: the Communists with 13.81%, the ultra-nationalist LDPR with 8.98% and the New People party with 7.96%. The Just Russia party narrowly made the 5% threshold needed to enter parliament. All of those parties have voted in the same way as United Russia on major issues in recent years.

Yabloko, the only registered anti-war party, failed to win any seats at a national level. Reuters reported that it appeared to have won a small foothold in one regional parliament.

Controlled Political System

In Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, a close Putin ally, was re-elected to a fifth term as leader with an official tally of near 100%.

Regional And Turnout

Pamfilova said turnout among Russia’s 111 million voters was 59.3%, a record for such an election. Voting continued despite a heavy Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow on Sunday.