In spite of earlier expectations, many Russians did no bother to vote. Figures indicated a lower turnout than the 1999 Duma elections, with only 60 percent of the 110 million eligible voters casting a ballot.
However, political analysts regard the low turnout as indicative of the fact that the Russian people are not satisfied with the performance of some of the political parties.
Preliminary results showed that only seven out of the 23 parties participating in the election crossed the five-percent threshold required to enter the Duma.
The pro–Putin United
Overall, results showed that power in the Duma was shifting ever further in the Kremlin's favor, reflecting Putin’s power in
As a matter of fact, under the Putin administration
The Russian president has not taken a dynamic stance in regard to the
Also, as far as domestic issues are concerned, the vast influence of the military and former intelligence agency officials over the Putin administration has caused serious problems and slowed the pace of reform. All this has resulted in public discontent, particularly among the youth.
However, with the victory of the United Russia party in the State Duma elections, political analysts do not expect very significant changes in the domestic or foreign policy of the country and they believe the status quo will be maintained in the future, too.
RA/HG
End
MNA
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