Inside Russia’s election scam: gunpoint votes, electronic rigging, and fake opposition

Duma as a Rubber Stamp [0:00]

• The United Russia party, governing party of President Putin, requires an absolute majority to pass legislation.
• The Russian parliament, the Duma, is described as a rubber stamp body that reflects glory onto the Kremlin and implements decisions made elsewhere.
• It is not an independent body and has no role in policy-making, likened to a "crazy printer" churning out directives.

  "it's like a printer it's like a crazy printer the russians call it just churns out whatever stuff they're told to churn out"

Allegations of Election Fraud [0:34]

• Past elections have seen mass ballot stuffing, forced voting, and dodgy counting, particularly in occupied territories like Crimea.
• A new electronic voting system is suspected of being used to skew results towards United Russia.
• Fake parties are reportedly used to split the vote, and opposition parties have been banned.

  "last time we saw mass ballot stuffing we saw forced voting including gunpoint in the occupied territories inside in crime in particular dodgy counting"

War's Influence and Legitimacy [1:16]

• These elections are taking place in the shadow of the war in Ukraine, making them "khaki elections."
• The war has significantly damaged the Russian state, and Putin seeks to use the elections to gain legitimacy for himself and public support for the invasion of Ukraine.
• The European Commission has stated that the elections cannot be considered free and fair due to Russian government influence.

  "the difference this time of course is it's been done in the shadow of the war so it's very much a khaki election"

Concerns Over Voting and Opposition [2:12]

• The outcome of the elections and the counting of online votes remain unclear, especially if turnout is low.
• There are concerns about the potential for a powerful bloc of veterans, scarred by the war, to influence policy or create instability.
• Russia has seen a severe crackdown on opposition, with leaders arrested or exiled, and even marginalized parties banned, creating a repressive environment where "systemic opposition" parties serve as a "fig leaf" for democracy.

  "the regime is not taking any chances that even a minuscule and marginalized party like jablica can be banned from running"

European and American Challenge [4:30]

• The "Russian problem" will persist as a challenge for Europeans and Americans.
• Russia is seen as the first test case for Europe in a changing strategic environment.
• There is a perceived mismatch between words and deeds within the European Union regarding defense.

  "the russian problem will not disappear for the europeans and it will be in the first place a european challenge"