United Russia receives above 50% of vote – almost 88% protocols

MOSCOW, December 5 (Itar-Tass) —— On Monday, at 10:00 Moscow time, Russia’s Central Elections Commission /CEC/ will publish official initial results of the elections to the State Duma of the sixth convocation. Anyway, the results are quite evident already. The United Russia retains the leading status, though the party has lost 14 percent of votes against the parliamentary elections of 2007.

United Russia receives at the elections to the State Duma 50.05 percent of the vote as of 06:00 Moscow time on Monday following processing of 87.64 percent of protocols from local election commissions.

CPRF /Communist Party of the Russian Federation/ – 19.13 percent, LDPR /Liberal Democratic Party of Russia/ - 11.67 percent, Just Russia – 13.03 percent.

Three parties will not be represented at the State Duma of the sixth convocation: Yabloko – 3.06 percent, Patriots of Russia – 0.96 percent, and Right Cause – 0.58 percent.

Thus, the State Duma party representation is not changing. The only differenece is that the ruling party, United Russia, received four years earlier 64.3 percent. However, in some regions the gap was even bigger. For example, in the Arkhangelsk Region United Russia lost 25 percent against the previous elections, but it was unanimously supported in the Caucasus and in Tatarstan.

Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin came to headquarters of United Russia almost immediately after the first results were published.

Dmitry Medvedev formally is not a member of the party, but he tops the party ticket at this election. Vladimir Putin is the party leader and the candidate for presidency at the election due in March of the coming year.

United Russia remains the biggest political force in the parliament, the president said. “Depending on results, we shall make final conclusions, but already now we may say that the party was a success, in compliance with its political influence,” he said. “The line-up we shall have at the State Duma reflects the realistic political line-up of forces in the country.”

Vladimir Putin expressed a similar view. “Despite the rather complicated period, despite the crisis, and that United Russia, the leading political force, was responsible for this complicated period, for losses, misfortunes, even despite all these difficulties, our electors chose to have it retain its political leading force,” he said. “This is an optimal result, which reflects the situation in the country.” He is sure that United Russia will provide stable development of the country.

At a briefing at the party’s headquarters, he expressed confidence in United Russia’s political positions. At the same time, Putin refused to answer a question from a reporter about where the 16 missing percent are. “I am not answering this question,” he said.

All other parties are much less optimistic about results of the elections.

Leader of the communists, Gennady Zyuganov promised that the party will protect its votes. He told a news conference at the party’s headquarters that he estimates “CPRF’s results in many regions at about 38-39 percent.” He added that in some regions, the party got more votes than United Russia did.

“If somebody proves the opposite – it would be stealing, if somebody would try to make us fit certain percentage – we shall not let it happen,” he warned. “We shall protect our votes and are ready for a dialogue with all political forces of the country. The elections are over, and we see many violations again.”

“We are not taking our allies on the streets to protest, but we shall organise protests against violations over the elections only after we prove them legally,” Zyuganov said.

LDPR’s leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky said that his party had filed already to CEC a 40-page complaint about violations. He claims that the party was supported by 20-30 percent voters. But the party will not argue the elections results if they have more seats in the new parliament, than they have now.

Just Russia will file court cases if there are enough proofs of violations, which could have affected the final results, head of the 5th State Duma’s faction Sergei Mironov said. He pointed to numerous violations, which happened at poll stations. The party is especially concerned about distortions in St. Petersburg, he said. The situation there is becoming “unpleasant.” “United Russia is losing the elections and would not agree with it,” he said.

Yabloko also fears “a flow of forge” and does not rule out it may recognise the parliamentary elections illegitimate. The party’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin said that many violations had been registered both throughout the country and in Moscow, too, which is considered to be the party’s “major donor.” He stressed that Yabloko “is collecting more and more reasons not to recognise the campaign’s results.

Already on Monday morning, Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev had telephone conversations with leaders of three parties, which are scoring, along with United Russia, votes enough to win seats in a new Duma, Medvedev’s press secretary Natalia Timakova said.

According to Timankova, the president spoke with Gennady Zyuganov of the Communist Part of the Russian Federation (CPRF), Vladimir Zhirinovsky of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), and Sergei Mironov of Just Russia.

“In accordance with preliminary results, the president congratulated them with their winning Duma seats and expressed the hope the four parties would work in a constructive manner in the parliament for the sake of the country’s well-being,” she said.