Vladimir Putin was elected to a second term as president in March 2004 with 71.31 per cent of all cast ballots. In April 2005, Putin ruled out seeking a new mandate, saying, "I will not change the constitution and in line with the constitution, you cannot run for president three times in a row." The next presidential election in Russia is scheduled for Mar. 2, 2008.

Russian voters renewed the State Duma on Dec. 2. United Russia (YR)—whose candidate list was headed by Putin—secured 64.1 per cent of the vote and 315 of the legislature’s 450 seats. Under the country’s recently implemented proportional representation system, only three other political organizations—the Communist Party (KPRF), the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) and A Just Russia—elected lawmakers to the lower house.

Earlier this month, Putin endorsed current deputy prime minister Dmitry Medvedev as a presidential candidate, and Medvedev said it would be of the "utmost importance" to have Putin as head of government.

On Dec. 18, Transparency International’s Yuly Nisnevich said the State Duma ballot was marred with fraud and intimidation, declaring, "I’d call this election a triumph of political corruption. I am afraid the fight against corruption has ended in our country."

Polling Data

Do you think the results of the State Duma election correspond to reality or are fraudulent?

Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the results of the State Duma election?

Source: Yury Levada Analytical Center
Methodology: Interviews with 1,600 Russian adults, conducted from Dec. 7 to Dec. 10, 2007. No margin of error was provided.

The Communist Party (KPRF) is second with 11 per cent, followed by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) with 10 per cent, A Just Russia with 7.5 per cent, the Agrarian Party of Russia (APR) with 2.5 per cent, Yabloko (Liberal) with 1.5 per cent, and Union of Right Forces (SPS) also with 1.5 per cent.

Putin was elected to a second term as president in March 2004 with 71.31 per cent of all cast ballots. In April 2005, Putin ruled out seeking a new mandate, saying, "I will not change the constitution and in line with the constitution, you cannot run for president three times in a row." The next presidential election is tentatively scheduled for March 2008.

The next election to the State Duma is scheduled for Dec. 2. For the first time, all 450 lawmakers will be chosen through party-list proportional representation, with a seven per cent threshold. In the 2003 election, only four political parties—United Russia, the KPRF, the LDPR and the Motherland – National Patriotic Union (MDRT)—received more than seven per cent of the vote.

On Oct. 1, Putin accepted an offer to lead the United Russia list in the election to the State Duma, and called the possibility of becoming prime minister "entirely realistic."

On Nov. 23, the SPS nominated Boris Nemtsov as its presidential candidate. Nemtsov is regarded as one of the architects of post-Soviet economic reform in Russia, and worked as deputy prime minister during the presidency of Boris Yeltsin. The candidate’s first advice to his followers was urging them to work as watchdogs of the state security forces, saying, "It is necessary to force the authorities to respect the constitution."

Polling Data

How would you vote if there were parliamentary elections this Sunday? Which party would you be most likely to support?
(Likely Voters)

The Communist Party (KPRF) is a distant second with six per cent, followed by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) with five per cent, and A Just Russia also with five per cent.

Putin was elected to a second term as president in March 2004 with 71.31 per cent of all cast ballots. In April 2005, Putin ruled out seeking a new mandate, saying, "I will not change the constitution and in line with the constitution, you cannot run for president three times in a row." The next presidential election is tentatively scheduled for March 2008.

The next election to the State Duma is scheduled for Dec. 2. For the first time, all 450 lawmakers will be chosen through party-list proportional representation, with a seven per cent threshold. In the 2003 election, only four political parties—United Russia, the KPRF, the LDPR and the Motherland – National Patriotic Union (MDRT)—received more than seven per cent of the vote.

On Oct. 1, Putin accepted an offer to lead the United Russia list in the election to the State Duma, and called the possibility of becoming prime minister "entirely realistic."

Putin’s critics in Russia have noted that YR is basing its campaign on asking voters to "be with Putin" or "support Putin", rather than on issues or ideas. On Nov. 22, Kirill Kabanov—head of the National Anti-Corruption Committee advocacy group—said the party underestimates the intelligence of Russian voters and called the campaign "insulting", adding, "It’s not that the United Russia people behave as though privileged, it’s rather that they treat the rest of the people with contempt, as if they were unworthy of discussion."

Polling Data

Which party would you vote for in the election to the State Duma?

Source: All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center
Methodology: Interviews with 1,600 Russian adults, conducted on Nov. 17 and Nov. 18, 2007. Margin of error is 3.4 per cent.

The Communist Party (KPRF) is a distant second with 14 per cent, followed by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) with six per cent, A Just Russia with four per cent, Yabloko (Liberal) with one per cent, and the Union of Right Forces (SPS) also with one per cent.

Putin was elected to a second term as president in March 2004 with 71.31 per cent of all cast ballots. In April 2005, Putin ruled out seeking a new mandate, saying, "I will not change the constitution and in line with the constitution, you cannot run for president three times in a row." The next presidential election is tentatively scheduled for March 2008.

The next election to the State Duma is scheduled for Dec. 2. For the first time, all 450 lawmakers will be chosen through party-list proportional representation, with a seven per cent threshold. In the 2003 election, only four political parties—United Russia, the KPRF, the LDPR and the Motherland – National Patriotic Union (MDRT)—received more than seven per cent of the vote.

On Oct. 1, Putin accepted an offer to lead the United Russia list in the election to the State Duma, and called the possibility of becoming prime minister "entirely realistic."

On Nov. 15, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) announced that its election-observing team will abandon plans to monitor the December ballot due to Russia’s lack of cooperation. The group issued a statement, which read: "Despite repeated attempts to attain entry visas into the Russian Federation for experts and observers, entry visas have continuously been denied."

International observers from other monitoring bodies are still expected to overview the vote, including the Council of Europe.

Polling Data

Imagine that parliamentary elections will be held again this Sunday. Which of the following parties would you vote for?
(Decided Voters)

Source: Yury Levada Analytical Center
Methodology: Interviews with 1,600 Russian adults, conducted from Nov. 9 to Nov. 13, 2007. No margin of error was provided.

The Communist Party (KPRF) is second with seven per cent, followed by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) with six per cent, and the opposition movement A Just Russia with four per cent.

Vladimir Putin was elected to a second term as president in March 2004 with 71.31 per cent of all cast ballots. In April 2005, Putin ruled out seeking a new mandate, saying, "I will not change the constitution and in line with the constitution, you cannot run for president three times in a row." The next presidential election is tentatively scheduled for March 2008.

The next election to the State Duma is scheduled for Dec. 2. For the first time, all 450 lawmakers will be chosen through party-list proportional representation, with a seven per cent threshold. In the 2003 election, only four political parties—United Russia, the KPRF, the LDPR and the Motherland – National Patriotic Union (MDRT)—received more than seven per cent of the vote.

On Oct. 1, Putin accepted an offer to lead the United Russia list in the election to the State Duma, and called the possibility of becoming prime minister "entirely realistic."

Yesterday, the opposition Union of Right Forces (SPS) asked Russia’s Supreme Court to disqualify Putin from running in the upcoming ballot, alleging that his name gives United Russia an unfair advantage. SPS leader Nikita Belykh announced the decision, saying, "Our party filed a suit with the Supreme Court asking it to exclude Vladimir Putin from United Russia’s list of candidates for the parliamentary election."

Polling Data

Which party would you vote for in the election to the State Duma?

Source: All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center
Methodology: Interviews with 1,600 Russian adults, conducted on Nov. 10 and Nov. 11, 2007. Margin of error is 3.4 per cent.

Vladimir Putin was elected to a second term as president in March 2004 with 71.31 per cent of all cast ballots. In April 2005, Putin ruled out seeking a new mandate, saying, "I will not change the constitution and in line with the constitution, you cannot run for president three times in a row." The next presidential election is tentatively scheduled for March 2008.

On Oct. 1, Putin accepted an offer to lead the United Russia (YR) list in the election to the State Duma—scheduled for Dec. 2—and called the possibility of becoming prime minister "entirely realistic."

On Oct. 30, Estonian prime minister Andrus Ansip expressed concern over the political situation in the Russian Federation, saying, "Naturally, I am worried about the way things are developing in Russia. Only three years ago, the state accounted for 50 per cent of the Russian national economy: now it is 70 per cent." Ansip also commented on the possibility of Putin becoming prime minister, and stated: "Some say that it would bring stability to Russia, but I would prefer democracy."

Polling Data

If Vladimir Putin becomes prime minister after he steps down, would you like the distribution of powers to remain the same as it is now or to change to transfer more powers to the prime minister?

Source: Yury Levada Analytical Center
Methodology: Interviews with 1,600 Russian adults, conducted from Oct. 5 to Oct. 10, 2007. No margin of error was provided.

Conversely, 28 per cent of respondents think the country only needs one strong political party, nine per cent call for many relatively small parties, and seven per cent believe no parties are necessary.

Vladimir Putin was elected to a second term as president in March 2004 with 71.31 per cent of all cast ballots. In April 2005, Putin ruled out seeking a new mandate, saying, "I will not change the constitution and in line with the constitution, you cannot run for president three times in a row." The next presidential election is tentatively scheduled for March 2008.

On Oct. 1, Putin accepted an offer to lead the United Russia (YR) list in this year’s election to the State Duma, and called the possibility of becoming prime minister "entirely realistic."

The election to the State Duma is scheduled for Dec. 2. For the first time, all 450 lawmakers will be chosen through party-list proportional representation, with a seven per cent threshold. According to recent voting intention polls, United Russia is expected to dominate the contest, with support for three other parties—the Communist Party (KPRF), the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) and A Just Russia—lagging below the 10 per cent mark.

On Oct. 20, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev was elected to lead a new political movement called Union of Social Democrats. The group will not participate in the upcoming State Duma election, but is expected to become a political party in the future. Gorbachev said he accepted the nomination partly because he fears democratic institutions in Russia are threatened, adding, "Primarily, this is linked to deformation of parliamentarism when one political force dominates."

Earlier this month, Russia’s Central Election Committee banned the Green Party, the People’s Union and the Party for Peace and Unity from contesting the State Duma election, claiming their registers contained falsified signatures.

Polling Data

In your view, how many political parties are necessary in Russia?

The Communist Party (KPRF) is a distant second with six per cent, followed by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) with four per cent, and the opposition movement A Just Russia also with four per cent.

Vladimir Putin was elected to a second term as president in March 2004 with 71.31 per cent of all cast ballots. In April 2005, Putin ruled out seeking a new mandate, saying, "I will not change the constitution and in line with the constitution, you cannot run for president three times in a row." The next presidential election is tentatively scheduled for March 2008.

The next election to the State Duma is scheduled for Dec. 2. For the first time, all 450 lawmakers will be chosen through party-list proportional representation, with a seven per cent threshold. In the 2003 election, only four political parties—United Russia, the KPRF, the LDPR and the Motherland – National Patriotic Union (MDRT)—received more than seven per cent of the vote.

On Oct. 1, Putin accepted an offer to lead the United Russia list in the election to the State Duma, and called the possibility of becoming prime minister "entirely realistic."

Russia’s Central Election Committee (CEC) has refused so far to extend invitations for foreign observers to monitor the December election. On Oct. 23, the government said it might invite some groups, adding it will send out the requests closer to election day. Urdur Gunnarsdottir, spokeswoman for the Poland-based Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), said the Russian government’s attitude "makes our work difficult", adding, "It’s worrying for us that the state has not been forthcoming with an invitation."

Polling Data

Which party would you vote for in the election to the State Duma?

Source: All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center
Methodology: Interviews with 1,600 Russian adults, conducted on Oct. 20 and Oct. 21, 2007. Margin of error is 3.4 per cent.

The Communist Party (KPRF) is a distant second with 15 per cent, followed by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) with six per cent, A Just Russia with five per cent, and both Yabloko (Liberal) and the Union of Right Forces (SPS) with one per cent.

Vladimir Putin was elected to a second term as president in March 2004 with 71.31 per cent of all cast ballots. In April 2005, Putin ruled out seeking a new mandate, saying, "I will not change the constitution and in line with the constitution, you cannot run for president three times in a row." The next presidential election is tentatively scheduled for March 2008.

The next election to the State Duma is scheduled for Dec. 2. For the first time, all 450 lawmakers will be chosen through party-list proportional representation, with a seven per cent threshold. In the 2003 election, only four political parties—United Russia, the KPRF, the LDPR and the Motherland – National Patriotic Union (MDRT)—received more than seven per cent of the vote.

On Oct. 1, Putin accepted an offer to lead the United Russia list in the election to the State Duma, and called the possibility of becoming prime minister "entirely realistic."

On Oct. 14, Garry Kasparov—a former chess champion and a presidential candidate for the opposition Other Russia movement—discussed the current state of Russia’s democracy, stating, "We’re not fighting to win elections, we’re fighting to have elections. (…) The regime is facing an ultimate crisis and it might be even sooner than we expect. It’s important that we are there when the crisis emerges."

Polling Data

Imagine that parliamentary elections will be held again this Sunday. Which of the following parties would you vote for?
(Decided Voters)

Putin was elected to a second term as president in March 2004 with 71.31 per cent of all cast ballots. In April 2005, Putin ruled out seeking a new mandate, saying, "I will not change the constitution and in line with the constitution, you cannot run for president three times in a row." The next presidential election is tentatively scheduled for March 2008.

The next election to the State Duma is scheduled for Dec. 2. For the first time, all 450 lawmakers will be chosen through party-list proportional representation, with a seven per cent threshold. In the 2003 election, only four political parties—United Russia, the The Communist Party (KPRF), the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) and the Motherland – National Patriotic Union (MDRT)—received more than seven per cent of the vote.

On Oct. 1, Putin accepted an offer to lead the United Russia list in the election to the State Duma, and called the possibility of becoming prime minister "entirely realistic." 64 per cent of respondents kept the same opinion of Putin after his announcement, while 18 per cent say their opinion of the president improved.

On Oct. 18, government officials acknowledged that inflation in Russia might surpass the 10 per cent barrier next year. While the administration had expected an 8.0 per cent rate of inflation in 2007, consumer prices grew by 7.5 per cent since January and another 0.9 per cent in the first two weeks of October. Russian finance minister Alexei Kudrin declared after a cabinet meeting: "I am looking to the number named by market experts. This number is around 10 per cent." Andrei Belousov, deputy economy minister, added that inflation may exceed that number.

Polling Data

How do you expect Vladimir Putin’s decision to head the United Russia (YR) list to affect the election to the State Duma?

Has your opinion of Vladimir Putin changed after his decision to head the United Russia (YR) list in the election to the State Duma?

Source: Yury Levada Analytical Center
Methodology: Interviews with 1,600 Russian adults, conducted from Oct. 5 to Oct. 10, 2007. No margin of error was provided.