Vladimir Putin wins Russian Presidential Elections: The Central Election Commission of Russia announced on Monday (18 March 2024) that Vladimir Putin has won the presidential election. Putin has not only succeeded in winning the presidential elections but also by winning with a record number of votes. He has become the President of Russia for the fifth consecutive time. Putin’s victory in the elections underlines his control over the country’s political system.
Indian Prime Minister on Vladimir Putin’s election as President for the fifth time Narendra Modi Has also congratulated him. PM Modi posted on X (formerly Twitter) and wrote: Hearty congratulations to Vladimir Putin for being elected once again as the President of the Russian Federation. Look forward to working together to further strengthen the strategic partnership between India and Russia in the coming years.
https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1769695046268309797?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Let us tell you that there were only three candidates in front of Putin in the presidential election and no one who opposed the Ukraine war was allowed to contest against Putin. Putin has been leading Russia as President or Prime Minister since December 1999. Earlier Putin described the results as a further reflection of the public’s “confidence” and “hope” in him, while critics called the results another reflection of the predetermined nature of the election.
Speaking to volunteers after voting ended, Putin said, “We have a lot of work. But I want to make it clear to everyone that when we were united, no one succeeded in intimidating us, suppressing our will and our conscience.” “They failed in the past and they will fail in the future also,” he said.
During the elections there was a ban on publicly criticizing Putin and the war in Ukraine. Independent media was paralysed. Putin’s most vocal political opponent, Alexei Navalny, 71, died in an Arctic prison last month and his other critics are either in jail or in exile. Russia’s Central Election Commission said on Monday that votes cast in nearly 100 percent of the precincts had been counted and Putin had received 87.29 percent of the votes.
Commission head Ella Pamfilova said that about 76 million people voted for Putin, which is the highest number of votes he has received so far. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and the presidents of Honduras, Nicaragua and Venezuela have congratulated Putin on his victory. At the same time, the leaders of Central Asian countries – Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, which came into existence after the disintegration of the Soviet Union – have also congratulated Putin. At the same time, western countries have rejected the elections as a sham.
British Foreign Minister David Cameron said on the social media platform ‘X’, “After illegally holding elections on Ukrainian territory, elections have been held in Russia. Voters lacked choice in the elections and there was no independent OSCE monitoring. “This is not what free and fair elections look like.”
Standing against Putin were three token rivals from Kremlin-friendly parties who have avoided any criticism of his 24-year rule or his invasion of Ukraine two years ago. The elections were held in a controlled environment and Navalny’s allies had urged those angry at Putin and the war in Ukraine to turn out to polling stations on Sunday afternoon. After this, long queues of people were seen at its embassies in Russia and around the world.
Navalny’s wife Yulia Navalnaya was also seen standing in a long queue outside the Russian Embassy in Berlin, Germany. She stood in the queue for five hours and after voting she told reporters that she had written her late husband’s name on the ballot paper. Asked about a message for Putin, he said, “Please stop asking me or anyone for a message for Putin. There can be no negotiations or anything with Putin, because he is a murderer, he is a gangster.”
At the same time, Putin ignored the demonstration. “A call for voting was made in the afternoon and it was considered a manifestation of protest,” he said in a press conference after the voting was over. “Okay, if there has been an appeal to vote… I appreciate it.” Putin addressed Navalny by name for the first time in years during a press conference.
Putin said he was briefed on the idea of releasing his political rival Alexei Navalny from prison. This happened a few days before the death of the opposition leader. The president said he had agreed on the condition that Navalny not return to Russia. Putin said that some colleagues who were not from the (president’s) administration had mentioned the idea of releasing Navalny in exchange for some people jailed in Western countries.
Putin said, “Believe it or not, the person who was talking to me had not even finished his sentence when I said I agreed.” Regarding Navalny’s death, he said, “This happens. There is nothing you can do about it. this is life.” Navalny’s allies said last month that Russia was in talks with officials of Western countries regarding a prisoner exchange regarding Navalny.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Navalny’s supporters reached his grave in Moscow and some had ballot papers on which his name was written. Voting in the country lasted for three days and elections were also held in the areas illegally annexed to Ukraine and online voting took place.