MOSCOW:Russia’s ruling United Russia party on Sunday cruised to an easy victory at parliamentary polls that could pave the way for President Vladimir Putin to glide to a fourth term in elections in 2018, partial results showed.
The ballot for the 450-seat State Duma was smooth sailing for authorities desperate to avoid a repeat of mass protests last time round and eager to increase their dominance as Russia faces the longest economic crisis of Putin’s rule.
But indications of a low turnout suggested that many Russians may be turned off by a system in which the Kremlin wields near-total power and could …read more
Source: Free Malaysia Today
