Russian President Vladimir Putin responds to Biden: the US should learn to respect Russia 17.10.23/Reuters
The Russian presidential elections will start tomorrow (Friday) and will last for three days.
Barring unforeseen events - the incumbent President Vladimir Putin is expected to keep his seat.
The victory will give the president, who holds the longest tenure since Joseph Stalin - six more years in power.
This time - the elections will also be held in the occupied Ukrainian territories, which the federation defines as the "new territories in the country".
A holiday for democracy or an apparent "election"?
Here's everything you need to know.
when will it happen?
As mentioned, the voting will last for about 3 days, from March 15 to 17.
The results will be published "shortly after", and the president-elect is expected to take office in May.
These will be the first elections that allow electronic voting, alongside traditional voting at polling stations.
Russian President Vladimir Putin in a video call with the Russian Security Council, October 20, 2023/Reuters, Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov
The Kremlin in Moscow/Reuters
How many will vote?
About 114 Russian citizens are entitled to vote in the elections.
In Russia, it is reported that around 70-80 million people usually vote.
The voting rate as published in the previous elections in 2018, was 67.5%.
Who is competing?
Putin will face the head of the Communist Party Nikolai Kharitonov, Leonid Slutsky, the leader of the Nationalist Liberal Democratic Party, Valdislav Debenkov from the "New People" party.
Boris Nadzhedin, an anti-war candidate, was banned from running in the elections.
Like Yekaterina Dontsova.
How long will the president-elect serve?
Putin has served as the country's president since 1999, with the exception of one term, between 2008-2012, in which he held the position of prime minister, under Dmitry Medvedev.
The length of the term was extended to six years in 2008, with each president limited to two consecutive terms only.
However, changes made under his rule in 2020 "reset" Putin's number of terms so far, thus making it possible for him to run in the current round as well as in the next one, in 2030.
Do they support Putin in Russia?
Against the backdrop of the war in Russia - the Kremlin declares record support for Putin.
Recently published polls predict 85% support for him throughout the country.
This is an upward trend: in 2012, he won about 67% of the votes in the elections held, in 2018, about 77% of them were given to him.
Last month, Alexei Navalny, who is considered one of the most prominent voices in the Russian opposition, died in a Russian penal colony.
Following this, thousands took to the streets, in a rare protest in the country, and some even called the current president a "murderer".
Others shouted "Russia will be free, no war, Russia without Putin, and we will not be forgiven."
Shortly before his death, Navalny called for a huge protest demonstration on election day, and encouraged citizens to go vote at exactly 12:00, thus creating riots and congestion at the polling stations.
The people's choice or democracy only in appearance?
In the eyes of the West, Putin's rule is considered "undemocratic".
The accusations against him have only increased since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.
However, the Kremlin claims that casting doubt on the credibility of the elections is "an attempt to undermine the Russian government."
Russia has banned ODIHR, the organization that oversees the integrity of elections on behalf of the European Union, from sending observers on its behalf.
Already in 2018, the organization warned about the government's interference in the election process.
"We regret that the deterioration of Russian democracy has reached a low point," concluded ODIHR.
"We will continue to monitor the situation closely."
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