United Russia Secures Overwhelming Supermajority in Russia’s Parliamentary Elections

President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party has secured a historic supermajority in parliamentary elections that effectively barred any meaningful opposition, according to near-complete official results.

With over 58 percent of votes counted, United Russia — which has held dominance over Russian politics for a quarter of a century — is poised to capture more than three-quarters of the seats in the lower house, the State Duma, based on results announced on Monday following three days of voting that concluded on Sunday.

The polls marked the first parliamentary vote since Russian forces launched their invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and the first to include residents of four Ukrainian regions that Moscow seized and annexed in violation of international law later that year.

Reporting from Moscow, Al Jazeera’s Dmitry Medvedenko said the results, alongside a voter turnout of nearly 60 percent, “are likely to be seen by Moscow as emboldening — as a sign of public support for its actions, particularly regarding the continuation of the war in Ukraine.”

Ella Pamfilova, chair of the Central Electoral Commission, said Yabloko — the only registered anti-war party in Russia — failed to win any seats at the national level. It had been removed from the ballot the previous month by Russia’s Supreme Court and fielded only a handful of candidates in single-seat races.

Yabloko did manage to enter the regional parliament in western Russia’s Novgorod region. It said on social media that it received approximately 12,000 votes — just over six percent — enough to gain representation in the regional legislature.

Yabloko and the Communist Party, which has voiced criticism of certain government policies but carefully steered clear of any direct attacks on Putin, said numerous observers from their camps were denied access to polling stations.

The Communists entered parliament with 13.8 percent of the vote, clinching 40 Duma seats. The nationalist LDPR party secured 25 seats, and the New People party won 20.

Russia did not invite observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which the Foreign Ministry has accused of applying “double standards” in its criticism of the country. OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Pere Joan Pons stated that excluding observers violated Russia’s obligations as a member.

‘Surprise to No One’

Many Russians appeared unmoved by the election outcome.

“This morning I saw that United Russia was winning. It probably comes as no surprise to anyone,” said Moscow resident Tatyana.

When asked what she would most like to change, she said: “Well, everyone knows the most pressing issue — the conflict in Ukraine. I would like to see it end sooner, ideally through peaceful means.”

The ongoing war risks deepening unpopular policies that increasingly affect ordinary Russians, and the parliamentary supermajority may find it difficult to reverse this trajectory.

“Putin will, of course, interpret United Russia’s results as confirmation of public support for the war, even though that is not the case: The overall demand to end the war continues to grow,” said Tatyana Stanovaya of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in an online commentary.

“The main question is: What now? There are serious concerns about further mobilisation, new repressions, harsher measures, and escalation,” she wrote.

Western Criticism

The EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, dismissed Russia’s “so-called” election.

“The Kremlin silenced dissent, barred the only registered party that opposed its war in Ukraine, and shut out international election monitors. The veneer of democracy is all that remains in Russia,” Kallas said.

In a joint statement, five countries — including Australia, Britain, and Canada — condemned Russia’s “sham” parliamentary elections in occupied areas of Ukraine, branding them “part of a wider system of occupation.”

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