Vladimir Putin's United Russia party retain majority in Parliamentary polls

Moscow: In Russia, the ruling United Russia party of incumbent President Vladimir Putin has retained a majority in parliament after a three-day election. However, the party lost around one fifth of its support, showed the results.

 

According to latest reports, over 33 per cent ballots have been counted so far with Putin's party winning over 45 percent of the votes while its nearest rival Communist Party polled around 22 per cent of the votes. While this indicates an emphatic win for the ruling United Russia



party, it would be a weaker performance for the party when compared to the 2016 parliamentary election when it had won over 54 percent of the votes.

 

The polls show that Putin remains a popular figure with many Russians crediting him for standing up to the West and restoring national pride. The result looks unlikely to change the political landscape, with Putin, who has been in power as president or prime minister since 1999, still dominating ahead of the next presidential election in 2024.