{"id":24417,"date":"2024-03-18T05:42:30","date_gmt":"2024-03-18T09:42:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/putin-extends-his-rule-over-russia-claiming-landslide-win-after-election-with-no-real-opposition\/18\/03\/2024\/"},"modified":"2024-03-18T05:42:30","modified_gmt":"2024-03-18T09:42:30","slug":"putin-extends-his-rule-over-russia-claiming-landslide-win-after-election-with-no-real-opposition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/putin-extends-his-rule-over-russia-claiming-landslide-win-after-election-with-no-real-opposition\/18\/03\/2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Putin extends his rule over Russia, claiming landslide win after election with no real opposition"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/world\/russia-presidential-election-putin-navalny-death-war-ukraine-rcna141993\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:President Vladimir Putin\u2019s rule over Russia;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">President Vladimir Putin\u2019s rule over Russia<\/a> will be extended for at least another six years, after he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/world\/putin-navalny-was-part-prisoner-swap-rcna143802\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:claimed a landslide win;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">claimed a landslide win<\/a> Monday in a stage-managed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/world\/russia-presidential-election-moscow-vote-putin-rcna143530\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:presidential election with no real opposition;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">presidential election with no real opposition<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The vote was orchestrated to legitimize the leadership of Putin, 71, after a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/world\/pouring-dye-ballot-boxes-laying-flowers-kremlin-staging-noon-putin-rus-rcna143588\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:crackdown on dissent;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">crackdown on dissent<\/a> that has left his rivals dead, jailed or in exile as his war in neighboring Ukraine enters its third year. Having led Russia for 24 years already, he will soon match Soviet leader Josef Stalin as the country\u2019s longest-serving modern ruler.<\/p>\n<p>Putin received 87.32% of the vote, Russia\u2019s election commission said early Monday after more than 99% of ballots had been counted. It reported turnout was 74%.<\/p>\n<p>Putin hailed the results as an indication of the country\u2019s \u201ctrust\u201d in him<strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"caas-figure\">\n<div class=\"caas-figure-with-pb\" style=\"max-height: 640px\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"caas-img-container caas-img-lightbox caas-img-loader\" style=\"padding-bottom:67%\" data-lightbox-src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/OL83Z2Zsa788mMwP9AsyHQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTI0MDA7aD0xNjAw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/nbc_news_122\/1b558993b8ee4926c6ee0e5e81873d16\"><span class=\"caas-img-wrapper\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Russia Election Voters (Natalia Kolesnikova \/ AFP - Getty Images)\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/4qw5juJ9doP6wvauMb5B4A--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/nbc_news_122\/1b558993b8ee4926c6ee0e5e81873d16\" class=\"caas-img\"\/><button class=\"link caas-lightbox\" aria-label=\"View larger image\" data-ylk=\"sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;elm:expand;itc:1\"><span class=\"openArrows icon\"><svg width=\"22\" height=\"22\" viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\"><path d=\"M12.372 0.92C12.372 0.414 12.782 0.004 13.287 0.004L21 0L20.996 7.712C20.996 8.217 20.586 8.628 20.08 8.628C19.574 8.628 19.164 8.217 19.164 7.712V3.183L12.337 10.011L10.988 8.663L17.816 1.835H13.287C12.782 1.835 12.372 1.425 12.372 0.92ZM1.835 17.816L8.663 10.988L10.012 12.337L3.183 19.164H7.712C8.218 19.164 8.627 19.574 8.627 20.08C8.627 20.586 8.218 20.995 7.712 20.995L0 21L0.004 13.287C0.004 12.782 0.414 12.372 0.92 12.372C1.425 12.372 1.835 12.782 1.835 13.287V17.816Z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"caption-collapse\">Russia Election Voters (Natalia Kolesnikova \/ AFP &#8211; Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Russian elections have for years been tainted by mass fraud allegations, but the result this time was never in doubt.<\/p>\n<p>The three other names on the ballot were from parties that have long served the Kremlin\u2019s agenda: Communist Nikolai Kharitonov; leader of the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party Leonid Slutsky; and Vladislav Davankov of the New People party, the youngest candidate, whom the Kremlin tried to present as more liberal-leaning.<\/p>\n<p>None represented true opposition to Putin, however, having supported his agenda and barely campaigned.<\/p>\n<p>Former regional legislator Yekaterina Duntsova and politician Boris Nadezhdin tried to get on the ballot with an anti-war message, but were barred from running by authorities.<\/p>\n<p>The country was also able to vote electronically and over a span of three days, as the Kremlin sought to encourage a higher turnout that would allow it to claim a wave of support for Putin and his war.<\/p>\n<p>Since the full-scale invasion that Putin launched in February 2022, the Kremlin has insisted the entire nation has been \u201cconsolidated\u201d around the Russian leader and his growing clash with the West. Putin\u2019s approval ratings have remained high, although gauging public opinion is difficult in Russia as people are often too afraid to speak freely.<\/p>\n<p>The Russians who oppose Putin\u2019s war and politics have been ostracized, often forced into exile or persecuted for their views as part of a sweeping crackdown on dissent not seen since the Soviet era.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"caas-figure\">\n<div class=\"caas-figure-with-pb\" style=\"max-height: 640px\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"caas-img-container caas-img-lightbox caas-img-loader\" style=\"padding-bottom:67%\" data-lightbox-src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/q4faFLGnNocCVPDj4plStg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTI0MDA7aD0xNjAw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/nbc_news_122\/d7b5d9edfa68630ba0ac6c324e37acb7\"><span class=\"caas-img-wrapper\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"caas-img caas-lazy has-preview\" alt=\"Vladimir Putin Russian Election (Alexander Zemlianichenko \/ AP)\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/FwFJZb5aSbAFPJvLbpJI0w--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/nbc_news_122\/d7b5d9edfa68630ba0ac6c324e37acb7\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Vladimir Putin Russian Election (Alexander Zemlianichenko \/ AP)\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/FwFJZb5aSbAFPJvLbpJI0w--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/nbc_news_122\/d7b5d9edfa68630ba0ac6c324e37acb7\" class=\"caas-img\"\/><button class=\"link caas-lightbox\" aria-label=\"View larger image\" data-ylk=\"sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;elm:expand;itc:1\"><span class=\"openArrows icon\"><svg width=\"22\" height=\"22\" viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\"><path d=\"M12.372 0.92C12.372 0.414 12.782 0.004 13.287 0.004L21 0L20.996 7.712C20.996 8.217 20.586 8.628 20.08 8.628C19.574 8.628 19.164 8.217 19.164 7.712V3.183L12.337 10.011L10.988 8.663L17.816 1.835H13.287C12.782 1.835 12.372 1.425 12.372 0.92ZM1.835 17.816L8.663 10.988L10.012 12.337L3.183 19.164H7.712C8.218 19.164 8.627 19.574 8.627 20.08C8.627 20.586 8.218 20.995 7.712 20.995L0 21L0.004 13.287C0.004 12.782 0.414 12.372 0.92 12.372C1.425 12.372 1.835 12.782 1.835 13.287V17.816Z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"caption-collapse\">Vladimir Putin Russian Election (Alexander Zemlianichenko \/ AP)<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Russia\u2019s opposition has been decimated by years of pressure and devastated by the death of its leader, Alexei Navalny, in a remote Arctic prison just weeks before the election, in what his supporters, family and many Western leaders have called a Kremlin-orchestrated murder.<\/p>\n<p>Despite this atmosphere of repression in which mass protests are all but impossible, just before his death Navalny called for people to gather at polling stations on Sunday at noon in a show of dissent.<\/p>\n<p>Navalny\u2019s team shared images of people lining up outside polling stations in Moscow and St. Petersburg. However, the number of people who turned out for the protest across Russia, dubbed &#8220;Noon against Putin,&#8221; was not clear.<\/p>\n<p>There were no reports of arrests during these protests, but in a separate incident a local election official was detained at a polling station in Moscow for wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with Navalny&#8217;s name on Sunday, according to OVD-info, a Russian civil rights organization.<\/p>\n<p>There were also more fiery displays of anger, with state media reporting multiple incidents of Russians throwing colored dye or Molotov cocktails at ballot boxes and polling stations.<\/p>\n<p>In the absence of real alternatives and reliable polling, the Kremlin was keen to be able to claim a landslide win and high turnout as the true barometer of support for the course that Putin has charted for his country, with the military at its core. On the eve of the election, Putin <a href=\"http:\/\/kremlin.ru\/events\/president\/news\/73650\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:called on Russians;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">called on Russians<\/a> to vote as a \u201cmanifestation of patriotic feelings\u201d and said it was \u201cnecessary to reaffirm our unity and determination to move forward together.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On the snowy streets of Moscow ahead of the vote, people were hesitant to talk about the election and there was little sense of a crucial event about to decide anything about the country\u2019s future.<\/p>\n<p>Most told NBC News they were casting their vote for Putin or not at all.<\/p>\n<p>Asked how the Russian economy has fared through the war, Sergei, a lawyer from Siberia, said he had not felt the effect of international sanctions. \u201cI work harder and more diligently, that\u2019s all,\u201d said Sergei, 42. \u201cI have not really felt it. There is definitely something there, inflation. But this is the time we live in.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Russian economy\u2019s resilience in the face of the Western sanctions has boosted Putin. Though some prices have soared and the war has added to a labor shortage, official statistics show wages have risen, too, helping to keep the war from the top of many Russians\u2019 everyday thoughts.<\/p>\n<p>Sergei said he was confident that Russia would win the war and emerge better off from it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe will live better,\u201d he said. \u201cAs always, we never fall into despair and hope for the best.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"caas-figure\">\n<div class=\"caas-figure-with-pb\" style=\"max-height: 640px\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"caas-img-container caas-img-lightbox caas-img-loader\" style=\"padding-bottom:67%\" data-lightbox-src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/YDPU8wki4SiisCmDTtUS5Q--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTI0MDA7aD0xNjAw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/nbc_news_122\/26cfaaf0ab905dccdf52d929c02b1038\"><span class=\"caas-img-wrapper\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"caas-img caas-lazy has-preview\" alt=\"Voters in Russia are heading to the polls for a presidential election that is all but certain to extend President Vladimir Putin's rule after he clamped down on dissent.  (AP)\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/XT1tWOovkl71MxMRQbbgWA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/nbc_news_122\/26cfaaf0ab905dccdf52d929c02b1038\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Voters in Russia are heading to the polls for a presidential election that is all but certain to extend President Vladimir Putin's rule after he clamped down on dissent.  (AP)\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/XT1tWOovkl71MxMRQbbgWA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/nbc_news_122\/26cfaaf0ab905dccdf52d929c02b1038\" class=\"caas-img\"\/><button class=\"link caas-lightbox\" aria-label=\"View larger image\" data-ylk=\"sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;elm:expand;itc:1\"><span class=\"openArrows icon\"><svg width=\"22\" height=\"22\" viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\"><path d=\"M12.372 0.92C12.372 0.414 12.782 0.004 13.287 0.004L21 0L20.996 7.712C20.996 8.217 20.586 8.628 20.08 8.628C19.574 8.628 19.164 8.217 19.164 7.712V3.183L12.337 10.011L10.988 8.663L17.816 1.835H13.287C12.782 1.835 12.372 1.425 12.372 0.92ZM1.835 17.816L8.663 10.988L10.012 12.337L3.183 19.164H7.712C8.218 19.164 8.627 19.574 8.627 20.08C8.627 20.586 8.218 20.995 7.712 20.995L0 21L0.004 13.287C0.004 12.782 0.414 12.372 0.92 12.372C1.425 12.372 1.835 12.782 1.835 13.287V17.816Z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"caption-collapse\">Voters in Russia are heading to the polls for a presidential election that is all but certain to extend President Vladimir Putin&#8217;s rule after he clamped down on dissent. (AP)<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The vote came as Russian troops in Ukraine pushed forward against Kyiv\u2019s army, weakened by ammunition and personnel shortages amid faltering Western support. In a symbolic victory for Putin ahead of the vote, Russia took the nearly-ruined Ukrainian town of Avdiivka after months of fighting, underscoring the warnings that reduced backing for Kyiv would strengthen the Kremlin\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n<p>For the first time, four Ukrainian regions that Putin annexed in late 2022 voted in Russia\u2019s presidential election, despite the fact that Moscow\u2019s forces do not fully control the regions and front-line battles raged close by.<\/p>\n<p>For several days ahead of the election and even as Russians voted, Ukrainian drones assailed regions across the country, and pro-Ukrainian armed groups attempted incursions into the border regions of Belgorod and Kursk, as these areas were also shelled from the air. Putin vowed revenge for what he said was a \u201ccriminal\u201d effort \u201cto disrupt the voting process and intimidate the people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Putin has been in power since 2000, only stepping aside into the role of the prime minister for four years between 2008 and 2012. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/world\/putin-backs-amendment-allowing-him-remain-power-n1154101\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Constitutional amendments;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Constitutional amendments<\/a> he spearheaded in 2021 reset his presidential terms and allow him to stay in power <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/world\/putin-signs-law-allowing-him-2-more-terms-russia-s-n1263070\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:until at least 2036;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">until at least 2036<\/a>, when he will be 83 years old.<\/p>\n<p>This article was originally published on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/world\/putin-win-russian-election-opposition-rcna142926\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:NBCNews.com;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">NBCNews.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/putin-extends-rule-over-russia-090427746.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>President Vladimir Putin&rsquo;s rule over Russia will be extended for at least another six years, after he claimed a landslide win Monday<br \/><button class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/putin-extends-his-rule-over-russia-claiming-landslide-win-after-election-with-no-real-opposition\/18\/03\/2024\/\">Read More &rsaquo;<\/a><\/button><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24423,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24417"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24417"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24417\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24423"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24417"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24417"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24417"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}