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The regional elections, a year before the general elections, are expected to be a test case for the Kremlin’s electoral machinery for its relentless public outrage at declining revenues and economic problems.
Tatiana Stanovaya, director of the analyst firm R. Polititik, says the results of these elections will help the Kremlin decide whether the unpopular ruling party “United Russia” should be reformed and whether the parliamentary elections should not be postponed.
Voter elections could also be affected by the Navaln poisoning, which could have “controversial effects,” Stanovaya told AFP. According to her, if A. Navalns were to be hospitalized in Germany and disappeared from the Russian political scene, the “smart vote” campaign started by him could be affected.
The Navaln-led opposition hopes to challenge the Kremlin’s dominance in Russian political life, urging the population to vote tactically and support the strongest candidate to defeat the ruling party.
“On the other hand, what happened to A. Navalns caused a commotion,” Stanovaya added, noting that those who did not support him before can now change their minds.
Navaln, considered the main enemy of Russian President Vladimir Putin, had just visited Siberia to urge people to vote under the “smart voting system” when they felt bad.
Three days of voting
Early voting started on Friday, but the main election day is Sunday.
Officials who wanted to limit demonstrations over the coronavirus pandemic have decided that the vote will take place over three days, but critics of the Kremlin say it is a ploy devised to falsify the results.
On Friday and Saturday, voting took place both at polling stations and elsewhere: close to home, in common areas, at home. Sunday voting is only at polling stations.
This system was tested last summer when amendments to the Constitution were voted on that allowed Putin to remain in power until 2036.
The Kremlin also hopes that the four new parties will disperse the voices of the opposition.
“Say no to the way”
One of the fiercest political battles is taking place in Novosibirsk, where Sergei Boye, 37, who heads Navaln’s Novosibirsk office, has generated opposition against United Russia and the Communist Party in Russia’s third-largest city.
His “Novosibirsk 2020” coalition nominated some 30 candidates for the city parliament and led the campaign with the help of volunteers from the A. Navaln Anti-Corruption Foundation.
“This is an attempt to unite the opposition and all the people by saying ‘no’ to the current regime,” Boika told AFP.
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