MOSCOW, September 19. /TASS/. The head of Russia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) Ella Pamfilova said that she was surprised at the high results that the ruling party, United Russia, had obtained during the parliamentary elections.
"I hope these results properly reflect reality and if someone has any doubts they can come to us, they are welcome… I am sure that most members of the Commission didn’t expect such a result, it came as a surprise to us in many ways," Pamfilova told journalists while announcing the preliminary results of the voting.
According to the initial results, United Russia has gained 54.28% of the votes on party lists and 203 individual mandates.
According to preliminary results, the voter turnout at the State Duma elections stands at 47.18%.
According to preliminary results, the ruling United Russia party heads the list, winning 343 mandates in the seventh Duma (76.22% of the seats). The Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) obtains 42 seats (9.34%). It is followed by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) that wins 39 mandates (8.67%), and A Just Russia comes fourth with 23 seats (5.11%).
Rodina (Motherland), the Civil Platform and self-nominee Vladislav Reznik get one mandate each (0.22%).
Elections to the State Duma, Russia’s lower house of Parliament, were held on September 18 in a split system: 225 members of parliament were elected by party tickets, while the other 225 - in one-seat constituencies.
No minimal turnout was required.
Fourteen parties were on the election ballot: the United Russia party, the Communist Party of Russia, the Liberal Democratic Party, A Just Russia party, Russia’s Patriots, Civil Platform, the Green party, the Party of Growth, Parnas, Civil Power, Russia’s Communists, Yabloko, Rodina (Motherland) and the Russian Party of Pensioners for Justice. Parties have to pass the five-percent electoral threshold to receive any seats in the Duma.