HARARE, March 15. /TASS/. Remote overseas voting in the Russian presidential election has begun in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, the second-largest city in the southern African country, where a remote polling site has been set up inside a conference hall at the Bulawayo Club Hotel, located in the city center, to allow local resident expatriate Russian citizens to cast their ballots.
"In total, 89 Russian citizens living in Zimbabwe and having the right to vote are on the consular register," Russian Ambassador to Harare Nikolay Krasilnikov told a TASS correspondent. "All other voters who are now in Zimbabwe will be able to take part in the voting with them. Today from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time (9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. Moscow time - TASS) remote offsite voting is being held in the city of Bulawayo, located 440 km from the capital [city of Harare]. Employees of [diamond mining company] Alrosa, the flagship enterprise of [Russian] business in Zimbabwe, and other compatriots work there. The polling station on the premises of the [Russian] embassy in Harare will be open on March 17 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time," the Russian envoy said.
"We are noting a heightened level of interest among Zimbabweans in the election of the leader of Russia," the ambassador stressed. "This demonstrates solidarity with us, a sincere interest in establishing and developing cooperation in various fields."
Voting in the election for the office of president of Russia is taking place over three days, from March 15 through 17. This marks Russia’s first-ever three-day presidential election and the first where voters have the option of casting their ballots via remote electronic voting procedures, which are available in about one-third (29) of the country's 89 regions. Four candidates are running for the post of head of state: State Duma (lower house of parliament) Deputy Speaker Vladislav Davankov, nominee of the New People party; incumbent President Vladimir Putin, who is running as a self-nominated candidate; Leonid Slutsky, nominee of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR); and Nikolay Kharitonov, nominee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF).