Putin's United Russia party suffers poll setback

[pampango]

Source: BBC

Exit polls in Russia's parliamentary elections point to a sharp drop in support for Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's United Russia party.

Polls for Russian state TV and the state-backed polling organisation showed United Russia got about 48.5% of the vote, down from 64% in 2007.

That would give Mr Putin's party 220 members in the 450-seat lower house.

If the result is confirmed, United Russia could lose its current two-thirds majority which allowed it to change the constitution unchallenged.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16024938

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

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[tabatha]

2. Yep, there are apparently some in Russia who do not like Putin.

[russspeakeasy]

8. They actually count their votes ? What a concept...

[Posteritatis]

12. They do, up to several times if they're for the right candidates. (nt)

[russspeakeasy]

13. Excellent.

:rofl:

[DJ13]

3. I believe ruling parties throughout the world will lose support in the coming years

The elites have seriously underestimated the amount of anger the populace has concerning the degraded living standards they're expected to put up with while the governments are actively supporting the already wealthy.

[RZM]

6. Living standards in Russia have actually gone up since the disastrous 90s

That's one reason why United Russia has maintained strong support. People were willing to overlook their anti-democratic nature because life was getting better. I'd like to think that people are starting to turn on them now not as much because of economic issues, but because another generation of what amounts to one-party rule doesn't sound too appealing.

Of course, you if you look further down the ballot, you see some troubling alternatives as well. The next two largest parties are the Communist Party and the Liberal Democrats. The latter are anything but what their name suggests and are actually an extreme nationalist party. You have to go all the way to fourth place to find the Social Democrats. I do think people who would otherwise support more mainstream (and more democratic) parties have been swallowed up into the United Russia behemoth, which for many seems the best bet if your only other viable options are the extreme left and right.

[David__77]

4. Not even a majority...

"United Russia received 47%, then comes the Communist Party with 20%, The Liberal -Democratic party -13%, A Just Russia with 13%, Yabloko with 2%, The Patriots of Russia -1% and The Right Cause- 0,55%."

http://english.ruvr.ru/2011/12/05/61529419.html

As it becomes clear to more Russians that United Russia represents more of the Yeltsin-style neo-liberal politics, it's support will continue to decline. It is noteworthy that the open neo-liberals, Right Cause and Yabloko, were decimated. I expect that Russia will appear "hawkish" on the foreign policy realm in order to attempt to district from their nation-selling policies.

[tcaudilllg]

10. Which aren't even in the interests of Russians anyway.

Which is more reason to take pride in your nation: a foreign policy that favors the 1%, or the 99%?

[Odin2005]

5. I think things are about to get very interesting in Russia.

What happens when Putie Boy tries to hold power against the will of the people?

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

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[tcaudilllg]

9. You'd probably see his PM-in-waiting take him down.

Or maybe I've misjudged him... we'll have to see, won't we?

[SoapBox]

11. Wait...was that Palin? OH...PUTIN!

...hehe.

[bemildred]

14. Good. nt