Russians vote on the last day of presidential elections/Protests are expected

2024-03-17 10:30:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Russians went to the polls on Sunday in the final day of a presidential election set to hand Vladimir Putin another six-year term, expected to be met with protests at midday.

Putin's victory in this election is almost certain, as his opponents are in prison, in exile or dead.

The relentless war, which has crushed independent media and human rights groups, began before Moscow began its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but it has only grown fiercer since then.

Officials at Russia's Election Commission said that by Sunday morning, the last day of the three-day election, more than 60 percent of the 114 million eligible voters had cast their ballots either in person or online.

For the final day of the election, Russian authorities have prepared for unusual midday protests at polling stations, raising threats that those who disrupt the voting process will face heavy prison sentences.

Before he died in a Russian prison in the Arctic under suspicious circumstances, serving what was described as a politically motivated sentence, opposition leader Alexei Navalny had hoped to use the election to demonstrate popular discontent with the war in Ukraine and Putin's iron rule.

He had called on voters to cast their vote exactly at noon, calling the action "At noon against Putin."

His widow, Yulia Navalnaya, and others continued to call for protests on Sunday.

The Moscow prosecutor's office has threatened with criminal prosecution all those who are seen interfering with the work of the election commissions in the voting centers at noon.

During the first two days of voting, some Russian citizens have expressed their anger at Putin's authoritarian rule by vandalizing ballot boxes.

28 such incidents have been reported, as well as arrests.

Such incidents have been reported in at least nine cities, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi and Volgograd.

Russia's former president, Dmitry Medvedev, now vice president of the Security Council, condemned the protesters on Saturday, calling them "traitors" who are helping the country's enemy, especially Ukraine.

Putin, 71, who has been president, or prime minister, for 25 years is running against three little-known politicians - Liberal Democratic Party leader Leonid Slutsky, State Duma deputy speaker Vladislav Davankov of the New People's Party, as well as against State Duma lawmaker Nokolai Kharitonov from the Communist Party – whose political positions are hardly distinguishable from Putin's.

Boris Nadezhdin, a 60-year-old anti-war politician, was barred from running by Russia's Central Election Commission last month because of what he said were invalid signatures of supporters on his application to register as presidential candidate.

He appealed, but the commission's decision was upheld by the Supreme Court of Russia.

Ukraine and Western governments have condemned Russia for holding elections in Ukrainian regions, calling them illegal.

The result of the elections is expected to be announced on March 18./ REL