Moscow, Mar 16 (EFE).- The Russian presidential election saw more than half of eligible voters cast their ballots, the polling body said on Saturday, the second day of voting, amid criticism over electronic voting transparency and geopolitical tensions over the Ukraine war.
Voters across the vast Russian landscape exercised their civic duty, with Moscow witnessing a significant surge in electronic polling.
The presidential election is being held over three days, from Mar. 15 to 17.
The polling body reported that 51.77 percent of eligible voters exercised their right to vote, including electronic voting, which has faced criticism from the opposition for its lack of transparency.
More than 30 percent of Russians cast their vote on Friday in addition to the 2.6 million who voted early due to the war in Ukraine, according to the Central Election Commission.
Several people were arrested on Friday for spraying ink, paint and antiseptic on ballot boxes, or throwing Molotov cocktails at polling stations.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is seeking a fifth term, accused Ukraine on Friday of trying to disrupt the three-day elections with attacks and border incursions.
“These enemy strikes will not remain unpunished,” he said during a meeting of Russia’s Security Council, which was also attended by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
At least two Russian civilians were killed in a Ukrainian attack with 15 Vampire missiles against Russia’s Belgorod following a Russian attack against a residential area of Ukraine’s Odessa region on Friday, that left 14 dead and 46 injured.
Putin, 71, voted on Friday from his office in an attempt to promote electronic voting, considered a fraudulent method by the opposition.
According to official polls, over 80 percent Russians are planning to vote for Putin which could give him the largest electoral victory since coming to power in 2000.
The candidate of the New People party, Vladislav Davankov, and Communist Party’s Nikolai Kharitonov have 6 percent support among those surveyed while, Leonid Slutski, of the ultranationalist Liberal Democratic Party, has around 5 percent support.
Part of the opposition to the Kremlin has decided to back Davankov, whose position on the Ukraine war is ambiguous, while others have called on voters to go to their local schools at noon on Sunday in a protest action known as ‘Noon without Putin.”
Moscow has threatened to criminally prosecute those who take part in the protest action.
Some 4.5 million voters are eligible to vote in the areas occupied by the Russian army in the four Ukrainian regions annexed by Moscow, including Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
After the death in prison of the Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, his supporters – who hold Putin directly responsible – called on the West not to recognize the election results. EFE
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