2024-03-15 08:01:09
“‘The door to manipulation is wide open’… public officials receive orders to present voting proof photos”
WP “This is an election that Putin has no choice but to win”… Russian presidential election reveals bare face
President Putin appears on a large electronic display board
(St. Petersburg EPA = Yonhap News) On the 14th (local time), ahead of the Russian presidential election, a large electronic display board installed in downtown St. Petersburg shows the image of President Vladimir Putin, who is expected to be re-elected. Voting for the Russian presidential election will take place from the 15th to the 17th. 2024.03.15
passion@yna.co.kr
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Doyeon Lee = As President Vladimir Putin’s fifth term in office is certain to begin in the Russian presidential election, which begins on the 15th (local time), voices pointing out the fairness of voting are constantly being raised.
On the 14th (local time), the Washington Post (WP) reported in an article titled ‘Why Putin Always Wins’ that President Putin has always won by using the public’s voice to manipulate elections to get re-elected.
President Putin has been ruling Russia since he took over as acting president following the resignation of former President Boris Yeltsin on December 31, 1999. He won the presidential elections in 2000, 2004, 2012, and 2018, and although he stepped down as prime minister from 2008 to 2012, he maintained his power.
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To this end, the WP pointed out that President Putin has consistently destroyed democratic institutions such as the media, courts, parliament, and election commission.
If he wins a fifth term in this presidential election, President Putin can extend his power for another six years until 2030. By holding the position of the Kremlin for 30 years, they will surpass the record of former Soviet Communist Party Secretary Joseph Stalin (29 years in power).
Kremlin-controlled media is pouring out propaganda aimed at persuading Russians that only Putin can guarantee stability, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a do-or-die fight once morest the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which only Putin can do. WP reported that it is being described as a war of.
WP pointed out that the door to ballot box manipulation is wide open in this presidential election, which will be held over three days from the 15th to the 17th.
In 27 regions of Russia and two occupied territories in Ukraine, online voting is conducted with unclear procedures, which is criticized because there is no way to verify votes.
Online voting was introduced for the first time, and involves accessing a special site at home using a computer, smartphone, or tablet, verifying one’s identity with a digital code, and voting remotely.
Although it is possible to increase voter turnout, there are concerns that fair election monitoring will become difficult and manipulation may be possible.
The independent election group Golos is accused of collaborating with an international organization deemed ‘undesirable’ by Russian authorities, and its co-chairman Grigory Melkonyancz is in custody.
Advance voting conducted in occupied territories controlled by Russia, such as Donetsk, also became controversial due to poor management, such as not guaranteeing secret voting. It was revealed that election officials were visiting homes with transparent ballot boxes and putting ballots marked by soldiers into the transparent ballot boxes without even folding them.
In addition, civil servants and state-owned enterprise employees are being ordered to show cell phone photos of their votes for Putin to prove their loyalty to the government, the WP reported.
dylee@yna.co.kr
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2024/03/15 17:01 Sent
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