Russia’s Central Election Commission announced preliminary results for the State Duma elections on Monday, reporting a turnout of 59.32 percent. The pro-Kremlin party United Russia secured 57.83 percent of the vote after more than 95 percent of ballots were processed, marking its strongest performance in a Duma election since 2007, reported by Mehr News Agency.
Commission chairwoman Ella Pamfilova, quoted by Interfax, said the Communist Party (CPRF) followed with 13.81 percent, while the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) took 8.98 percent and the newer New People party won 7.96 percent. Fair Russia, with 4.96 percent, failed to cross the five percent threshold needed for proportional representation in the chamber.
Smaller parties trailed far behind: the Pensioners’ Party for Social Justice received 2.0 percent, the Greens 1.15 percent, the Communists of Russia 0.85 percent, Rodina 0.72 percent, and the Party of Direct Democracy 0.35 percent, according to the commission’s preliminary data.
The results come despite earlier reports from activists and observers alleging numerous irregularities during voting, particularly in Russia’s southern regions. Those accounts, which included claims of pressure on voters and procedural violations, have not been independently verified but have fueled criticism from opposition groups and some international observers.
United Russia’s dominant showing reinforces the party’s control over the lower house of parliament, where it has long held a constitutional majority. The outcome is likely to be interpreted by the Kremlin as a sign of public backing for its policies, even as critics argue the electoral environment favours incumbents through media access, administrative resources and restrictions on genuine opposition.
With the vote count still being finalised, officials say full results will be published once all protocols are processed. For now, the preliminary figures point to a familiar pattern: a commanding win for United Russia, a fragmented opposition, and a parliament that remains firmly aligned with the executive.__Photo courtesy Mehr News Agency
