Putin Poised for Re-election as Russia Gears Up for 2024 Presidential Vote

December 8, 2023: In a bold move, the political party A Just Russia, holding 27 seats in the 450-seat State Duma, has declared its intention to nominate Vladimir Putin as its candidate for the upcoming presidential election. The announcement was made by the party’s leader, seasoned lawmaker, and staunch Putin supporter, Sergei Mironov. The nomination is scheduled to take place at the party’s congress on December 23, regardless of Putin’s decision to run as an independent candidate.

While the Kremlin’s official stance on the matter remains ambiguous, independent analysts speculate that Putin is more inclined to run as an independent candidate. Political analyst Dmitry Oreshkin, a professor at the Free University in Riga, Latvia, explained that Putin is likely to view a party nomination as excessive, given his high self-esteem. Oreshkin anticipates Putin facing competition from less popular candidates on the ballot, including Boris Nadezhdin and Gennady Zyuganov.

The Central Election Commission has unveiled plans to introduce online voting alongside traditional paper ballots in approximately 30 Russian regions. Additionally, the commission is considering extending the voting period to three days, a measure adopted during the pandemic but criticized by independent election monitors.

Stanislav Adnreychuk, co-chair of Golos, a prominent independent election monitoring group, expressed concerns over these measures. Adnreychuk noted that restrictions on monitoring adopted in recent years, coupled with the proposed changes, will severely limit independent observation. Only registered candidates or state-backed advisory bodies, the Civic Chambers, will be allowed to assign observers to polling stations, making it challenging for independent watchdogs to participate. Adnreychuk also raised questions about the transparency of online voting and the potential for ballot tampering during a three-day voting period.

Despite the challenges, Adnreychuk confirmed that Golos is committed to continuing its monitoring efforts throughout the campaign and will support activists who manage to reach polling stations on election day.

Analyst Oreshkin characterized the upcoming vote as more of a “ritual” than a competitive electoral process. He underscored its significance for Putin and his team, stating that it serves as a measure of “the loyalty of regional elites and (indicates) that the system works.”

As the election date looms on March 17, 2024, the political landscape in Russia intensifies. While Putin’s re-election seems increasingly likely, the implementation of online voting and restrictions on monitoring raises legitimate concerns about the fairness and transparency of the electoral process.