Putin’s gamble on Russia’s Duma elections

Russian President Putin has sought to improve the apparent transparency of the electoral process while simultaneously strengthening the chance of a United Russia win. But pulling the election date forward to September 2016 delivers a short term benefit at the expense of longer term risk.

Previews of the Parliamentary election held in Russia on the 18 September 2016.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Russian legislative election, 18 September 2016 http://www.europeansources.info/record/russian-legislative-election-18-september-2016/

Chatham House: Expert Comment, 12.09.16: What to Know About Russia’s Parliamentary Elections https://www.chathamhouse.org/expert/comment/what-know-about-russia-s-parliamentary-elections

Deutsche Welle, 16.08.16: Russian parliamentary elections to take place under new rules http://dw.com/p/1JjMu

Deutsche Welle, 16.09.16: Russian elections: Trying to look democratic http://dw.com/p/1K3wa

Politico, 16.09.16: Russian opposition fights for survival in Duma vote http://www.politico.eu/article/russian-opposition-fights-for-survival-in-duma-vote-dmitry-gudkov-vladimir-putin-dmitri-medvedev/

The Guardian, 15.09.16: The Russian woman who travels 500km to vote https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/15/most-boring-election-2016-russia-state-duma-parliamentary-vote-putin-crimea

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