Pro-Putin party set to win Russian election after Navalny clampdown
The Hindu
The Central Election Commission reported total voter turnout at 40.5% as of 1500 Moscow time (1200 GMT) on September 19
Russians voted on September 19 in the final stretch of a three-day parliamentary election that the ruling party is expected to win emphatically after a crackdown that crushed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny's movement and barred opponents from the ballot.
The expected win by the ruling United Russia party is likely to be used by the Kremlin as proof of support for Vladimir Putin, who has been in power as either President or Prime Minister since 1999.
Allies of Alexei Navalny, who is serving a jail sentence for parole violations he denies, are encouraging tactical voting against United Russia, that amounts to supporting the candidate most likely to defeat the ruling party in a given electoral district. Authorities have tried to block the initiative online.
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