“Hello mama. It’s me, Vladimir. I won the elections”
Putin must love it when a plan comes together. With around 85 percent of precincts reporting, United Russia has captured an albeit predictable landslide. The numbers break down as follows:
United Russia: 63.2 percent Communist Party: 11.7 percent Liberal Democratic Party: 8.4 percent Just Russia: 8 percent Other Parties: 8.7 percentThe percentage scraps leftover went to parties like Yabloko and Union of Right Forces who didn’t garner the needed 7 percent to make the cut. And while the losers will scream foul, the winner, United Russia, will be able to take their victory as a sign that the population supports their consolidation of power. For Russia’s fledgling liberal parties, the election engenders the old Leninist dictum: What is to be done?
The liberals will certainly try to postpone dealing with this question until after the Presidential Elections in March. But after that it seems ..read more
