Putin’s party wins record Duma majority in Kremlin-controlled elections as EU vows sanctions

Putin’s United Russia Securing Record Supermajority Amidst EU Sanctions Threats

Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party has secured a historic supermajority in the State Duma, according to preliminary results released Monday. The tightly monitored three-day voting cycle deliberately left out any opposition parties critical of the Kremlin or Russia’s ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

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According to the Central Election Commission, United Russia captured 355 of the 450 total seats in the State Duma, surpassing its previous peak of 343 achieved in 2016. This margin comfortably exceeds the 301 seats required for constitutional amendments. Official figures indicate voter turnout exceeded 59 percent, demonstrating strong public engagement despite prevailing restrictions.

The Communist Party placed second with 40 seats, while nationalists led by the LDPR secured 25 seats. The nationalist LDPR finished third with 25 seats, followed closely by New People with 20 seats and A Just Russia with four seats. PMF chief Ella Pamfilova confirmed turnout surpassed 59 percent.

This marks Russia’s inaugural nationwide parliamentary election since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. Political criticism of the war remains prohibited, and Yabloko—the sole party advocating for peace—was banned from the federal contest although permitted in regional ballots. These indicators, diplomats noted, reflect unprecedented societal consolidation around presidential authority.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov remarked that such results highlight “the highest level of solidarity within Russian society centered on the head of state.”

United Russia announced that 49 veteran servicemen who participated in combat operations are slated to join the Duma representing their party.

Consultation voting extended to occupied territories, encompassing Crimea and the cities of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.

On the final voting day Sunday, Kyiv endured Moscow’s largest drone assault of the conflict, resulting in two fatalities and a fire at an oil refinery. The Russian defense ministry accused Ukraine of interfering with the poll and pledged increased missile strikes against Kyiv.

Russia’s ‘Veneer of Democracy’

EU High Commissioner Kaja Kallas characterized the Kremlin’s approach as having “silenced dissent” and excluded international observers from the electoral process.

“The remnant democratic façade remains in Russia,” Kallas stated. “The National Assembly elections conducted by Russia from September 18–20 demonstrated further deepening democratic erosion amid an increasingly authoritarian political landscape.”

Kallas representatives asserted that the EU intends to impose sanctions on entities organizing the vote or candidacy in occupied Ukrainian territories.

“The European Union makes clear that it neither recognizes nor will recognize the proceedings of these so‑called ‘elections’ in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine or their outcomes,” the bloc declared.

Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Norway issued a coordinated statement designating the contested voting in occupied regions as a “gross violation” of Ukrainian sovereignty and international law. The statement emphasized that such elections cannot alter the legal status of these territories under global norms.

“These pseudo‑elections constitute a broader regime of occupation: the imposition of Russian administration, laws, media, education systems, language policies, and citizenship commitments enforced through coercion and repression,” the collective declaration read.

Ukraine’s foreign ministry characterized the voting in occupied zones as a “farce,” asserting a refusal to acknowledge the results. The electoral exercise surprised critics when Yabloko secured just over six percent in Novgorod during concurrent regional polls, qualifying them for regional representation.

Russia’s principal political adversaries reportedly reside outside the country, face imprisonment, or have passed away. Their principal challenger, Alexei Navalny, died in a northern confinement facility in 2024.

Additional sources• AFP

Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party has secured a historic supermajority in the State Duma, according to preliminary results released Monday. The tightly monitored three-day voting cycle deliberately left out any opposition parties critical of the Kremlin or Russia’s ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

According to the Central Election Commission, United Russia captured 355 of the 450 total seats in the State Duma, surpassing its previous peak of 343 achieved in 2016. This margin comfortably exceeds the 301 seats required for constitutional amendments. Official figures indicate voter turnout surpassed 59 percent, demonstrating strong public engagement despite prevailing restrictions.

The Communist Party placed second with 40 seats, while nationalists led by the LDPR secured 25 seats. The nationalist LDPR finished third with 25 seats, followed closely by New People with 20 seats and A Just Russia with four seats. PMF chief Ella Pamfilova confirmed turnout surpassed 59 percent.

This marks Russia’s inaugural nationwide parliamentary election since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. Political criticism of the war remains prohibited, and Yabloco—the sole party advocating for peace—was banned from the federal contest although permitted in regional ballots. These indicators, diplomats noted, reflect unprecedented societal consolidation around presidential authority.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov remarked that such results highlight “the highest level of solidarity within Russian society centered on the head of state.”

United Russia announced that 49 veteran servicemen who participated in combat operations are slated to join the Duma representing their party.

Consultation voting extended to occupied territories, encompassing Crimea and the cities of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.

On the final voting day Sunday, Kyiv endured Moscow’s largest drone assault of the conflict, resulting in two fatalities and a fire at an oil refinery. The Russian defense ministry accused Ukraine of interfering with the poll and pledged increased missile strikes against Kyiv.

Russia’s ‘Veneer of Democracy’

EU High Commissioner Kaja Kallas characterized the Kremlin’s approach as having “silenced dissent” and excluded international observers from the electoral process.

“The remnant democratic façade remains in Russia,” Kallas stated. “The National Assembly elections conducted by Russia from September 18–20 demonstrated further deepening democratic erosion amid an increasingly authoritarian political landscape.”

Kallas representatives asserted that the EU intends to impose sanctions on entities organizing the vote or candidacy in occupied Ukrainian territories.

“The European Union makes clear that it neither recognizes nor will recognize the proceedings of these so‑called ‘elections’ in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine or their outcomes,” the bloc declared.

Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Norway issued a coordinated statement designating the contested voting in occupied regions as a “gross violation” of Ukrainian sovereignty and international law. The statement emphasized that such elections cannot alter the legal status of these territories under global norms.

“These pseudo‑elections constitute a broader regime of occupation: the imposition of Russian administration, laws, media, education, and civic policies enforced through coercion and repression,” the collective declaration read.

Ukraine’s foreign ministry characterized the voting in occupied zones as a “farce,” asserting a refusal to acknowledge the results. The electoral exercise surprised critics when Yabloco secured just over six percent in Novgorod during concurrent regional polls, qualifying them for regional representation.

Russia’s principal political adversaries reportedly reside outside the country, face imprisonment, or have passed away. Their principal challenger, Alexei Navalny, died in a northern confinement facility in 2024.

Additional Sources

AFP

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