Putin’s party loses support

Vladimir Putin’s ruling party suffered a surprise drop in support yesterday in legislative elections seen as a test of the Russian strongman’s popularity ahead of his planned return to the Kremlin.

United Russia was on course to win but with less than half the votes, exit polls based on around a fifth of the count showed, in an unexpected blow to its supreme dominance of Russian politics.

The decline in its support came after an election marred by allegations the authorities had committed major violations to ensure the party hung on to an overwhelming parliamentary majority.

United Russia won 45.9 per cent of the vote, based on over 17 per cent of the precincts reporting, the central election commission said. The Communist Party was second with 20.7 per cent, the commission added.

The results mark a major reverse from the last parliamentary elections in 2007 when United Russia secured a landslide majority of 64.3 per cent and won 315 seats in the 450 seat State Duma.

Standing alongside President Dmitry Medvedev in a live televised address, Mr Putin put a brave face on the results and made no specific mention of the fall in support.

“Based on these results, we will be able to ensure the stable development of our country,” Mr Putin said.

Mr Medvedev, for his part, rejected the claims of foul play by the authorities, saying the elections results showed Russian “democracy in action” and reflected voters’ true moods. Exit polls all showed United Russia also winning less than 50 per cent of the vote. The All-Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (VTsIOM) said United Russia was to win 48.5 per cent of the vote, ahead of the Communist Party with 19.8 per cent.

Mr Putin was recently subjected to unprecedented booing when he made an appearance at a martial arts fight and opinion polls have shown chinks in his once impregnable popularity.

The Russian strongman is standing in the March 2012 Presidential elections to return to the Kremlin after his four-year stint as Prime Minister. His protégé Mr Medvedev is set to cede the Kremlin and become Prime Minister.