Moscow, Russia – President Vladimir Putin is facing allegations of violating Russian election laws as he unofficially campaigns during official work trips, benefiting from preferential coverage on state television. Independent observers have reported irregularities in Putin’s self-nomination process and the collection of signatures required for his appearance on the ballot.
Since Putin’s announcement of his intention to run for a fifth term in the upcoming presidential election, critics have pointed to violations in the election procedures. However, Moscow’s suppression of the opposition and independent media has made it challenging to publicly address these issues.
An anonymous State Duma lawmaker revealed, “On the instructions of our senior comrades [in the presidential administration], the Duma has deliberately made independent observation of voting more difficult, introducing electronic voting and other measures.”
Putin, 71, was originally expected to leave the presidency in 2024 under the Russian Constitution. However, constitutional amendments in 2020, contested by independent lawyers, granted him the right to be elected for two additional six-year terms, potentially extending his rule until 2036.
Russian officials began discussions about Putin’s likely re-election bid well before his official announcement, breaking from his past pattern of delaying declarations until the last minute. In July, reports suggested Kremlin plans for Putin to secure a landslide victory with over 80% of the vote.
Putin’s self-nomination as a candidate requires the collection of 300,000 signatures nationwide in support. Regional and municipal leaders, including Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, publicly voiced support for gathering signatures for Putin, with some local election commissions violating laws by collecting signatures in public places.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) has registered four candidates officially, while seven, including Putin, await registration after signature collection. Despite this, Putin enjoys a dominating presence on Russian television news, with mentions of him significantly outnumbering those of his opponents, according to an independent election monitor, Golos.
Golos’s report highlighted a critical imbalance in coverage, stating, “The number of mentions of Putin as president and as a candidate in total is 40 times higher than that of the Liberal Democratic Party and New People candidates.” Furthermore, state television refers to Putin using either positive or neutral language, avoiding any negative connotations.
In an apparent departure from this trend, Rossia 24 broadcaster covered the campaigns of LDPR’s Leonid Slutsky and New People’s Vladislav Davankov this week. However, the general pattern remains skewed towards Putin.
While Putin employs a “campaigning by work” strategy, portraying himself as actively addressing issues across the country, he has yet to hold official campaign events. According to Russian election lawyer Oleg Molchanov, as long as Putin refrains from explicitly mentioning elections or other candidates in his speeches, they are considered part of his official duties and not classified as campaigning.
Critics argue that the close alignment of state and semi-state bodies with Putin undermines the effectiveness of election commissions and courts in identifying and addressing potential campaign law violations.
As Putin continues his unofficial campaign, concerns persist about the fairness and transparency of the upcoming presidential election.