The ruling United Russia party is expected to win even greater dominance over Russia’s lower house in a parliamentary election on Sunday, showing that support for President Vladimir Putin is holding up despite sanctions and a deep economic slowdown.The election for the Duma, or lower house, is being seen as a dry run for Putin’s expected presidential campaign in 2018.It is also a test of how well the Kremlin can oversee trouble-free elections. It will be the first parliamentary vote since 2011, when allegations of ballot-rigging sparked big protests against Putin in the capital.Voting got under way at 2000 GMT …read more
Source: Egypt Independent
