Presidential election has started in Russia
Presidential elections have begun in Russia, which for the first time in the country's history will be held over three days - on March 15, 16 and 17. Elections will also be held in the occupied Crimea and the Russian-controlled regions of Ukraine - Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions.
Polling stations in the Far East, in particular in Chukotka and Kamchatka, began work on March 14 at 23:00 Moscow time.
A month ago, on February 25, the first round of voting began , in which, according to the chairman of the Central Election Commission Ella Pamfilova, 2.3 million citizens made their choice. There are a total of 112 million 309 thousand 947 people in the voters' list inside and outside the republic.
The presidential election process will also take place in the occupied Crimea and the Russian-controlled regions of Ukraine - Donetsk , Luhansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions.
Four candidates are registered for the Russian presidential election: incumbent President Vladimir Putin (running as a self-appointed candidate), Vladislav Davankov of the New People's Party, Leonid Slutsky of the LDPR, and Nikolai Kharitonov of the Communist Party of Russia.
Earlier, the European Parliament decided not to send its representatives to observe the presidential elections in Russia. According to an official statement, the move was motivated by a desire to avoid supporting a process that "does not meet established international standards of democracy."
Vladimir Putin has been in power in Russia since the early 2000s. He was elected president twice in 2000: in 2000 and 2004, the presidency was limited to four years. In 2008, important political changes took place: Dmitry Medvedev became president, and Putin began to lead the government.
By 2012, Putin decided to seek a third term, extending his presidency to six years. In 2018, he led the country for the fourth time. In the summer of 2020, Russia amended the Constitution, giving Putin the right to run for two more terms and stay in power until 2036.
