International
Not Surprising: Putin's Party Leads Russian Parliamentary Elections
United Russia, the ruling party of President Vladimir Putin, leads with 57.5 percent of the vote in Russian parliamentary elections, according to the Central Election Commission, which reported a turnout of over 56 percent. Exit polls by the state institute VCIOM had predicted a result of 49.4 percent for United Russia, while the Communist Party and nationalist LDPR were expected to receive 14.2 and 10.7 percent respectively. The election featured no open political struggle, as Jabloko was excluded for opposing the war in Ukraine, and remaining opposition parties did not critically challenge Putin or the conflict. Professor Michael Kemper noted that Russian elections primarily serve a legitimizing function, maintaining the appearance of debate. Voting took place from Friday to Sunday among approximately 111 million eligible voters in the State Duma, including residents in four occupied Ukrainian regions.
Ozetta summarises; the reporting is the newsroom's