The Russian Central Electoral Commission (CEC) announced the final results of the presidential election on Thursday March 21, formalizing Vladimir Putin’s overwhelming victory, describing this unopposed vote as “historic” and denying any fraud.
Mr. Putin, in power for twenty-four years, received 87.28 percent of the vote, CEC Chairwoman Ella Pamfilova said at a press conference. The participation rate reached 77.49% in this election which took place from March 15 to 17, she added.
“These are historic elections,” said Ms. Pamfilova, believing that each voter who voted had made “their contribution to strengthening Russia.” She praised a “very clean” and “very responsible” election campaign, assuring that the CEC had received only “459 complaints in total regarding violations.” “It’s nothing at all,” she said.
Three other candidates without scope
During the vote, Mr. Putin faced three insignificant candidates who opposed neither the offensive in Ukraine nor the repression that eradicated the opposition and culminated in the death in prison in mid-February of the black beast of the Kremlin, Alexeï Navalny. The only opponent to have attempted to run, Boris Nadejdine, saw his candidacy rejected.
Following the announcement of the official results, Vladimir Putin addressed the nation in a video broadcast by public television. “The elections showed that Russia today is one big united family,” he said, while he made the country’s unity behind its assault on Ukraine a leitmotif . “We are following together the historic path we have chosen. We are sure of ourselves, of our strengths and of our future,” concluded the Head of State.
