Medvedev Wins Russian Election
March 3, 2008 | Printer Friendly
By Jane Clark

According to a Washington Post article, Dmitry Medvedev decisively won the Sunday, March 2nd election in Russia with 70 percent of the vote.  His closest competitor was communist candidate Gennady Zyuganov, who carried 18 percent of the vote.  Medvedev has been backed by President Vladimir Putin, whose policies have been popular in Russia.  Putin will almost certainly become Prime Minister in May, and he will maintain a strong influence over the policy agenda in Russia.  Following the announcement of his win on Sunday night, Medvedev said, “We can maintain the course proposed by Putin.” 

Medvedev has stated that the division of power between the president and prime minister is clear, and the president is responsible for all foreign policy decisions.  However, the Kremlin’s loyalty is with Putin, so any disagreement with him would be a challenging obstacle for Medvedev to overcome.  So far, the campaign process has not clarified how they will share power.  Medvedev has expressed a desire to increase personal freedoms, reduce the state role in the economy, and embrace a less aggressive foreign policy, but he is also loyal to the Kremlin and has backed restrictive policies in the past.  It is unclear so far whether he will “chart a new course for Russia.”

As reported by BBC News, most governments have stated their willingness to work with the new Russian government.  Still, there has been some international concern over the way the election was conducted.  Election observers from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) said that the “democratic process was unfulfilled.”  Only 300 observers were present to monitor 96,000 polling stations.  The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) decided earlier not to monitor the elections because of the many restrictions (see Observation Group to Boycott).  A journalist with the Economist writes that one polling station was closed three hours before the stated closing time and citizens who turned up to vote were told that there were technical difficulties.  Members of the media present in the area were instructed to leave immediately.  Several officials arrived and were allowed to enter the polling station providing an opportunity to stuff the ballot box.  The election has “made many Russians uncomfortable.”  People believe that the government has made a mockery out of the process, and some believe that since Medvedev does not have legitimacy in the eyes of many people, it could prove problematic of there is an economic downturn during his presidency.   

The Russian government defends the election process by arguing that Russians have different priorities in their country.  In an article written for Russia, Beyond the Headlines, it is clear that they have a very different viewpoint on the meaning of democracy.  They believe that under former president Boris Yeltsin, too much control over resources ended up in the hands of the oligarchy.  Additionally, there was widespread “regional protectionism,” which led to threats of secession.  Putin is looked at favorably in the country for restoring the authority of the state and allowing little possibility for a military coup.  They credit him with redistributing wealth and making wise investments.  The government acknowledges that there is a lack of representative parties which prevents the existence of an independent parliament, but they argue that no other parties would have emerged even if the president supported OSCE democratic standards.  In general, they have not expressed concern about OSCE claims of the need for free elections.  The author states that democracy in Russia is not growing from international standards, but from internal social conflicts.  Russians believe that the main threat to democracy is underestimation of the role of proper state institutions.  Russians are tired of change and are just looking for stability.

Links:

Washington Post: Putin's Chosen Successor, Medvedev, Elected in Russia

BBC News: Muted Welcome for Russia Leader

The Economist: An Ugly Victory

Russia Beyond the Headlines: The Path to Democracy, Russian Style