Russia announces official presidential election results
Russia’s Central Electoral Commission (CEC) will announce official results from Monday’s presidential election.
The CEC is expected to rubber stamp Vladimir Putin’s re-election to an unprecedented fifth term in office ending in 2030. The election, widely seen by opposition groups to be rigged, was the first to take place since the Russia-Ukraine war and the death of key opposition figure Alexei Navalny.
The election process is a cynical attempt to lend legitimacy to Putin, who eliminated term limits in 2020, allowing him to remain in office until 2036. All other presidential candidates in the election were rumored to have been ‘hand-picked’ by the Kremlin or at least aligned closely with Putin’s policies. Anti-war candidate Boris Nadezhdin, seen as a potential challenger, was disqualified. All opposition and protests to the election were quashed in recent weeks.
This election signals a new phase in the Ukraine war. Expect Putin to utilize this new ‘legitimacy’ to accelerate Russia’s military industrial capacity and push for larger offensives. This may mean more conscription for Russia’s youth and a larger nuclear arsenal. Long term, Navalny’s death, combined with Putin’s re-election paints a bleak picture for Russia’s opposition, who will be further suppressed over the next decade.