Initial Reactions to Vladimir Putin's Victory

The Central Election Commission of Russia announced on Monday afternoon local time that with 99.8% of the votes counted in the presidential election, Vladimir Putin secured 76.7% of the votes. Ella Pamfilova, the head of the Central Election Commission of Russia, also announced that the voter turnout in the election on Sunday was 67.47%, indicating the participation of over 73 million people at the polls. The estimate from the Russian election headquarters indicates "the largest victory" for Vladimir Putin in an election, and the number of votes allocated to him is also the highest for any candidate in the post-Soviet era. The victory of 65-year-old Vladimir Putin in an election that has seen numerous reports of violations is considered the longest period of governance in Russia since Joseph Stalin. Prior to the election on Sunday, several media outlets quoted a source within the Kremlin stating that the government expected a 70% turnout and predicted that Vladimir Putin would achieve seventy percent of the votes. Election violations; from coercion to vote to distributing food for voters. The result of the recent Russian election was predictable months in advance. Mr. Putin's main rival, Alexei Navalny, was barred from competing in the election. Mr. Navalny had organized several large protests in recent months and was leading a campaign against government corruption. He had been repeatedly arrested in recent months and was barred from participating in the elections due to a conviction for embezzlement. Mr. Navalny had called for a boycott of the election on Sunday. Supporters of Mr. Navalny reported numerous election violations on the voting day. Some voters also reported to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty about pressure from their employers to vote. Meanwhile, some observers reported election violations, including ballot stuffing, coercing public employees to vote, and distributing food and drinks at polling stations. The head of the Central Election Commission commented on reports of ballot stuffing, stating that votes in five polling stations were annulled, but at the same time denied reports of certain incidents such as attacks on election observers or blocking some polling stations. Reports about this had been circulating on social media on Sunday. Ms. Pamfilova stated that the level of election violations had significantly decreased compared to the previous election period. International reactions; support from allies and skepticism from the West. The leader of China, the President of Iran, and leaders from several other countries have been among those who have congratulated Mr. Putin on his re-election through messages. Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, in his message to Vladimir Putin congratulated him on his "decisive victory" and expressed hope that cooperation between the two countries would be strengthened "in bilateral, regional, and international dimensions." Over the past seven years, the two countries have been the main supporters of Bashar al-Assad's government during the war in Syria. Xi Jinping, the President of China, was among the first leaders to congratulate Vladimir Putin on his re-election. The Chinese leader himself was recently elected for a second term and is expected to have a lifetime presidency. Leaders from Kazakhstan, Belarus, Egypt, and Venezuela also congratulated Mr. Putin on his re-election. However, with rising tensions between Russia and Western countries, the reactions from these countries to the election on Sunday were different. Heiko Maas, the German Foreign Minister, questioned the fairness of the election, stating, "Moscow is a tough ally," but added that the European Union should be able to continue dialogue with Russia. Tensions in relations with the West; "Putin's trump card." Meanwhile, a group of analysts believe that tensions between Russia and the West have increased Vladimir Putin's popularity within Russia, making him a figure who defends Russia against foreign enemies. The United States on March 14 added several more Russian individuals and companies to its sanctions list for alleged interference in the 2016 presidential election. Additionally, on the eve of this election, the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter in Britain made headlines. Sergei Skripal, the poisoned individual, was among the spies exchanged between the U.S. and Russia about seven years ago. He then bought a home in Britain and settled there. In mid-March, a passerby saw him and his daughter in a semi-conscious state in a shopping center in Salisbury and contacted the police. He and his daughter, who it is unclear why they were targeted, remain in intensive care and their condition is reported to be critical. Vladimir Putin, shortly before midnight on Sunday, in his first reaction to the news of Mr. Skripal's and his daughter's poisoning, denied his government's involvement in the incident. A spokesperson for Vladimir Putin's campaign attributed the high vote count for the Russian president to the media coverage of this incident, stating, "We should thank Britain for this issue as they failed to analyze the Russian people's mindset correctly once again." According to the Central Election Committee, Mr. Putin's rivals in the election on Sunday received the following vote percentages: Pavel Grudinin, the Communist Party candidate, came in second with about 12% of the votes. Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the candidate of the extreme nationalists, received about six percent of the votes, and the only woman in this competition, Ksenia Sobchak, a well-known television personality, journalist, and daughter of a prominent political activist, managed to secure 1.66% of the votes. Four other candidates received less than 1%. Vladimir Putin regarded the high level of votes as a sign of "trust and hope" from the Russian people. He stated that he currently has no plans to change the constitution to run again in the presidential elections.