Russian legislative "elections", 2007

[ag]

Based off of what Harry said, it looks like Parties 4, 7, and 8 get seats at the moment (plus United Russia).  Party 8 is marginal, at 7.2%.  United Russia is only at 63.5%.

63.8% is, roughly, what was predicted (probably, the official target set in the Presidential Administraion is within +-2%). 63.8% should translate in about 70% of seats in the Duma - well over any majority that could ever be procedurally necessary. Note also, that "Just Russia"'s main pre-electoral plank has been that it is MORE pro-Putin then Putin's own party, and the Zhirinovsky's LDPR is (and has always been) a creature of the security services (read KGB) and is always pro-government. Thus, the Commies, w/ about 12% of the vote (and, say, 15% of the seats) will be the only opposition - and half of them are on the government payroll as well.

[Harry Hayfield]

Update: 2000 GMT / 2300 Moscow Time
(Data from on screen graphic at the Central Election Commission broadcast by Russia Today)

United Russia: 63.52% (qualify for seats)
Communists: 11.34% (qualify for seats)
Lib Dems: 10.02% (qualify for seats)
Fair Russia: 7.04% (qualify for seats)
Others: 8.08% (none of which qualify for seats)
Turnout: 54.82%
Votes Counted: 17.96%

Breakdown of Others (graphic from Russia Today)
Agarian Party: 2.47%
Yabloko: 1.24%
Union of Right Forces: 1.06%
Civil Force: 0.97%
Patriots of Russia: 0.92%
Social Justice Party: 0.22%
Democratic Party of Russia: 0.14%

[ag]

A juicy tidbit: in Chechnia the preliminary turnout is 99.21%.

Should we, really, bother to continue this thread?

[Meeker]

The Communists are doing their "own" count. What a fun democracy.

[ottermax]

This is just sad. How undemocratic can a democracy get?

[StateBoiler]

This is just sad. How undemocratic can a democracy get?

Oklahoma?

[Meeker]

Hackers have taken down United Russia's website.

Now Joe Lieberman and Vladimir Putin have something else in common!

[Middle-aged Europe]

The Communists are doing their "own" count.

Good luck with that.

[ag]

This is just sad. How undemocratic can a democracy get?

It's not a democracy.

[Tender Branson]

I predict UR wins with 62% of the vote.

It seems that I´m becoming more accurate in prediciting European Election Results ...

Results as of 7am Moscow Time with 85% of the vote in:

All-Russian Political Party “United Russia”: 63,2 %
Political Party “Communist Party of the Russian Federation”: 11,7 %
Political Party “Liberal- Democratic party”: 8,4 %
Political Party Fair Russia: Motherland, Pensioners, Life: 8,0 %
Political Party “Agrarian Party of Russia”: 2,4 %
Political Party “Russian United Democratic Party ’YABLOKO’”: 1,6 %
Political Party “UNION OF RIGHTIST FORCES”: 1,1 %
All-Russia Political Party “Civil Force”: 1,0 %
“PATRIOTS OF RUSSIA”: 0,9 %
Political Party “Party of Social Justice”: 0,2 %
Democratic Party of Russia: 0,1 %

Political Party “Agrarian Party of Russia”: 1 358 263
All-Russia Political Party “Civil Force”: 624 659
Democratic Party of Russia: 72 923
Political Party “Communist Party of the Russian Federation”: 6 638 966
Political Party “UNION OF RIGHTIST FORCES”: 562 501
Political Party “Party of Social Justice”: 127 072
Political Party “Liberal- Democratic party”: 4 767 810
Political Party Fair Russia: Motherland, Pensioners, Life: 4 538 340
“PATRIOTS OF RUSSIA”: 511 878
All-Russian Political Party “United Russia”: 36 049 391
Political Party “Russian United Democratic Party ’YABLOKO’”: 930 011

http://cikrf.ru/eng/elect_duma/results/index.jsp

[Meeker]

Seat totals under current results:

United Russia: 308
Communists: 58
Liberal Democrats: 43
Fair Russia: 41

I heard earlier that Fair Russia wanted to make an opposition coalition with the Communists, but I thought Fair Russia was pro-Putin?

[Meeker]

In a shocking turn of events, the OSCE has declared that the results are "not fair".

[Silent Hunter]

In America, election results choose government.

In Putin's Russia, governments chooses election results.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

LOL!!

In America, election results choose government.

Republican answer: "except in Washington state"
Democrat answer: "except in Florida"

[True Democrat]

In America, election results choose government.

In Putin's Russia, governments chooses election results.

Similarly:

In America, you can always find a party.

In the Soviet Union, the party finds you.

[Silent Hunter]

Just change "The Soviet Union" or "Soviet Russia" to "Putin's Russia". That's my view at any rate (I know there are many differences).

[StateBoiler]

The Washington Post had its Moscow bureau chief talk in a discussion this morning about the election and its results with readers.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/11/29/DI2007112901384.html

Here are some highlights:

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The token Russian:

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The parties we all like are Russia's Libertarians and Greens:

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[Robespierre's Jaw]

Isn't Iron Vlad going to be a power behind the throne figure, considering he's poised to be Russia's new Prime Minister? And don't they have most of the power, instead of the President? That's what I've heard.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Isn't Iron Vlad going to be a power behind the throne figure, considering he's poised to be Russia's new Prime Minister? And don't they have most of the power, instead of the President? That's what I've heard.

No, the president is the most powerful government position in Russia... by far.

Under Yeltsin, and partially under Putin too, the PM was practically a "hire-and-fire" position. In Yeltsin's final years and months of his presidency he had a new prime minister every two months or so (which also had something to do with the fact that he was looking for a successor, he finally settled with Putin then). In theory, Putin also had the choice of staying prime minister in 2000. He was merely Acting President after Yeltsin's resignation and never obliged to run for president himself in the following elections. But he decided to pick the better job.

So, the question is: If Putin will be Russia's next prime minister, who will he "install" as president and will he be able to control this president from the PM position, which is officially a very weak one. So the question of informal power will play a great role in such scenario.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Just change "The Soviet Union" or "Soviet Russia" to "Putin's Russia".

[Хahar 🤔]

Hackers have taken down United Russia's website.

Now Joe Lieberman and Vladimir Putin have something else in common!

Freedom fighters!

[Jake]

Nothing prevents Putin the PM having the Duma pass constitutional changes granting the lion's share of the power to him. Not like his stooge will revolt against him.

[Meeker]

I had heard he was planning on greatly increasing the power of the PM before he left office next year. And isn't he backing some random schmuck for President who'd basically make the perfect puppet? I think we've figured out his little plan.


One other interesting "result": In addition to 99% of people in Chechnya voting, 99% voted for United Russia. Isn't that a little odd considering Putin's whole "Let's bomb the Chechens!" campaigns?

[Middle-aged Europe]

I had heard he was planning on greatly increasing the power of the PM before he left office next year. And isn't he backing some random schmuck for President who'd basically make the perfect puppet? I think we've figured out his little plan.

1. So far Putin hasn't officially backed someone for the presidency. Yesterday, I read somewhere that "United Russia" is planning to endorse a presidential candidate on December 17. In the last weeks and months, most bets were on current PM Zubkov, who was a totally unknown and obscure figure until he was appointed prime minister by Putin a few months ago. With 66 years, Zubkov is also considered to be relatively old (which actually makes it more likely for him to be Putin's stooge/successor... weird country).

2. I think "United Russia" has ruled out any plans to change the consitutiton yesterday... which would include increasing the powers of the PM.

3. Then again, Putin and "United Russia" have often changed their minds or made surprise announcements in the past (such as Putin's announcement that he would run for the Duma as "United Russia's" top candidate). So everything I just wrote could not come true as well.

[Meeker]

I had heard he was planning on greatly increasing the power of the PM before he left office next year. And isn't he backing some random schmuck for President who'd basically make the perfect puppet? I think we've figured out his little plan.

1. So far Putin hasn't officially backed someone for the presidency. Yesterday, I read somewhere that "United Russia" is planning to endorse a presidential candidate on December 17. In the last weeks and months, most bets were on current PM Zubkov, who was a totally unknown and obscure figure until he was appointed prime minister by Putin a few months ago. With 66 years, Zubkov is also considered to be relatively old (which actually makes it more likely for him to be Putin's stooge/successor... weird country).

Yea, that's the guy I was thinking of.