In Moscow, President Vladimir Putin issued a call to the Russian populace, urging their participation in the imminent presidential election scheduled for March 15-17, as per state news agency TASS on Thursday.
“We must reaffirm our cohesion, our resolve to progress collectively. Every ballot holds significance. Hence, I implore you to exercise your voting rights over the forthcoming three days,” Putin conveyed in a video message preceding the electoral process.
Per TASS, President Putin has communicated with the nation preceding federal elections on eight occasions—occurring in 2000, 2004, 2016, and 2018 (both prior to the presidential election and subsequent to announcing outcomes), in 2021 and 2020 before the nationwide referendum on constitutional adjustments.
Meanwhile, preliminary voting for the Russian presidential election continued overseas, with over 40,000 individuals having cast their ballots, according to Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
“Early voting is currently underway. It has transpired in 23 countries, overseen by 29 election commissions. As of March 12, more than 40,000 Russians have participated in voting,” the diplomat stated. “Voting proceedings have proceeded without notable incidents,” she assured.
She further mentioned the readiness of local Russian authorities to extend any necessary aid upon the initial request of their compatriots. The Russian Federation Council, also known as the Upper House of the Russian Parliament or Duma, officially set the presidential election date as March 17.
Subsequently, the Russian Central Election Commission (CEC) declared that voting would span three days—from March 15 to 17, marking Russia’s inaugural three-day presidential election.
President Putin is widely anticipated to achieve victory at the polls, securing a fifth term in office and completing a third decade as Russia’s preeminent leader, as reported by CNN. “With the demise of imprisoned Russian Opposition leader Alexei Navalny, it’s reasonable to assert that Putin’s political trajectory has entered the realm of lifetime presidency,” CNN highlighted, underscoring the implications for Russia’s forthcoming political equilibrium.
The President and his inner circle have not taken visible measures to prepare for a post-Putin era, the report disclosed. Putin holds the record for the longest-serving leader since Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, as noted by CNN, further indicating that “in 2020, Russian voters ratified constitutional amendments enabling him to remain in power until 2036.”
Even prior to Putin’s announcement of candidacy, the Kremlin has unequivocally stated its perception of no viable alternatives to his singular rule, the report emphasized.