Electoral setback for Putin despite winning majority

VLADIMIR PUTIN’S ruling party clung to a much reduced majority in parliament after an election that showed growing weariness with the man who has dominated Russia for more than a decade and plans to return to the presidency next year.

President Dmitry Medvedev said the election was “fair, honest and democratic”, but European monitors said the field was slanted in favour of Putin’s United Russia and the vote marred by apparent manipulations, including ballot-box stuffing.

In the biggest electoral setback for Putin since he rose to power in 1999, the Central Election Commission said United Russia was set to lose 77 seats in the State Duma and end up with 238, a slim majority in the 450-member lower house.

Medvedev, who led the party into the election at Putin’s behest, said voters had sent “a signal to the authorities” and hinted officials in regions where the party did badly could face dismissal if they do not shape up. “United Russia did not do too well in a series of regions, but not because people refuse to trust the party itself... but simply because local functionaries irritate them. They look and they say... if that’s United Russia, there’s no way I’m going to vote for him.”

Opponents said even United Russia’s official result — just under 50% of the vote — was inflated by fraud. The leader of the Communist Party, on target to increase its representation from 57 to 92 seats, said the election was the dirtiest since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Although Putin is still likely to win a presidential election next March, Sunday’s result could dent the authority of the man who has ruled for 12 years with a mixture of hardline security policies, political acumen and showmanship, but who was booed and jeered after a martial arts bout last month.

“Many Russians voted against the system and Putin is the head of that system,” said Stanislav Kucher, a commentator with Kommersant FM radio station. “Putin has a very difficult choice. To survive politically he needs to reform, but he can only reform if he gets rid of many vested interests in the ruling circle. To stay as he is means the opposite of political survival.”

Putin has cultivated a tough man image with stunts such as riding a horse bare-chested, tracking tigers and flying a fighter plane. But the public appears to have wearied of the antics and his popularity, while still high, has fallen.

Many voters, fed up with widespread corruption, refer to United Russia as the party of swindlers and thieves and resent the huge gap between the rich and poor.

Some fear Putin’s return to the presidency may herald economic and political stagnation.