(04/27/10) -

No Party Able to Compete with United Russia

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Russia’s governing party remains remarkably popular, according to a poll by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center. 52 per cent of respondents would vote for United Russia (YR) in the next legislative ballot.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Russia’s governing party remains remarkably popular, according to a poll by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center. 52 per cent of respondents would vote for United Russia (YR) in the next legislative ballot.

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

Russian voters renewed the State Duma in December 2007. United Russia—whose candidate list was headed by then president Vladimir Putin—secured 64.1 per cent of the vote and 315 of the legislature’s 450 seats. On that same month, Putin endorsed Dmitry Medvedev as a presidential candidate, and Medvedev said it would be of the "utmost importance" to have Putin as prime minister.

In March 2008, Medvedev easily won Russia’s presidential election with 70.28 per cent of the vote. In May, Medvedev was sworn in as president. His nomination of Putin as prime minister was confirmed by the State Duma in a 392-56 vote.

On Mar. 29, at least 40 people died and 100 more were injured after two suicide bombers targeted the Lubyanka and Park Kultury metro stations in Moscow. Two days later, Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov claimed responsibility for the attacks.

On Apr. 1, Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov criticized the government, saying they are "incapable of coping with any task," and adding, "We shall never end corruption and terrorist acts if we do not have professionals on all levels."

Polling Data

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