Vladimir Putin Poised to Win Russian Presidential Election

Vladimir Putin’s victory in Sunday’s presidential election in Russia appears to be virtually assured despite a growing number of protests against him.

Polling began at 2000 GMT on Saturday in the frigid far east of Russia, and are expected to close at 1700 GMT on Sunday in Russia’s Western exclave of Kaliningrad. Early polling put Putin’s chances of winning a third presidency term well over 50 percent, but should Putin make a return to the Kremlin his grip on the country may not be quite so tight for much longer.

Over the past several weeks, an unprecedented number of protests has been sweeping the nation, suggesting that a good portion of Russia is fed up with Putin’s brand of leadership. Police are reportedly making preparations for the possibility of unrest after the election in Moscow should Putin be reelected as president.

Some are predicting that Putin’s grip on Russia will weaken throughout his presidency as his influence over the country inevitably begins to decline.

“This term will be very hard for him,” said Olga Kryshtanovskaya, a sociologist and member of the dominant United Russia party. “I don’t think he’ll have a second term. I believe it will be a huge achievement if he stays in control until 2018 and gives power to a successor.”

For now, however, Putin is proving to be just as powerful as ever; he’s flexed his power to marginalize the competition, and Putin is still able to decide who even makes it on the ballot in the first place.

Source: Reuters