CatalàEnglish Site map Back to main page

Almost incredible figures of more than 99% of support to prime minister Vladimir Putin's party United Russia has again shown how difficult it is for the Northern Caucasus area to build a proper democratic system. OSCE observers in Russia have concluded that, in general, the count suffered from "frequent procedural violations and instances of apparent manipulation, including several serious indications of ballot box stuffing". Even so, United Russia only managed to secure 49% of the vote. But the figures in Northern Caucasus completely escape from that framework.

The Central Election Commission has informed that United Russia secured 99.48% of the vote in Chechnya, with an almost incredible turnout of more than 99%. In some of its neighbouring republics, official turnouts were also very high (between 85% and 91%) and the support to Putin's party was equally overwhelming: 91% in Ingushetia and 90% in Dagestan and in Karachaevo-Cherkessia.

Speaking about the results in Chechnya, political analyst Vyacheslav Nikonov explained to The Moscow Times that the Russian one is a "system based on authority, and authority can ensure the right results. I haven't heard about results like that since the Soviet times".

All political life in Chechnya is developed under the rule of Ramzan Kadyrov. According to NGOs such as Memorial, Moscow Helsinki Group, the Society for Threatened Peoples and Human Rights Group, president Kadyrov is responsible of a very wide range of human rights abuses. Freedom House considers Chechnya to be a place where "state control over daily life is pervasive and wide-ranging, independent organizations and political opposition are banned or suppressed, and fear of retribution for independent thought and action is part of daily life".

Better conditions in other areas

According to the informations coming from there, conditions seemed to be a little bit better in other non-Russian ethnic republics, such as Tatarstan or Bashkortostan. Results showed a more pluralistic vote (support for United Russia ranging from 59% to 76% depending on the district). Moreover, ballots were available in local Tatar and Bashkir languages, according to OSCE observers.

Still, many problems were denounced there by opposition parties. As an example, a political activist said that he had been barred from participating in a debate on the Tatar TV and a representative of opposition party A Just Russia denounced several cases of vote rigging near Tatarstan's capital city Kazan.

Further information:

• Caucasian Knot: "United Russia" in Chechnya polled 99,5% votes: Central Election Committee found no violations, the observers disagree
• The Economist: Russia's election: how it was rigged