Russia sets date for presidential "elections": what Putin wants and what fear reigns in the Kremlin

Russia has set the date of the presidential election for March 17, 2024. With this decision, the Federation Council launched the election campaign in the country.

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin will be nominated as a presidential candidate on December 23. The Just Russia - For Truth party is going to do this at its congress, Russian media report. OBOZ.UA will tell you more about the fears in the Kremlin on the eve of the election and what Russian dictator Vladimir Putin wants.

The head of the Central Election Commission of Russia, Ella Pamfilova, expressed her belief that the country's electoral system is ready for "the proper conduct of the presidential election."

At the same time, the Kremlin is concerned that the failures of the Russian army in the war in Ukraine could affect the results of the presidential election in Russia. Therefore, it is taking measures to ensure that Vladimir Putin's actual support in the elections does not depend on successes on the battlefield.

According to analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Putin plans to focus his presidential campaign on Russian internal affairs and criticism of the West, avoiding discussion of the war in Ukraine.

The Russian authorities have also tightened control over the information space and are encouraging self-censorship.

Russian bloggers have also suggested that officials who fund Telegram channels have ordered a halt to debate and criticize the Russian army before the presidential election. In addition, the Kremlin is trying to shore up support for Putin by creating a network of proxies to campaign on his behalf.

What does Putin want?

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is really interested in holding elections. Because by casting their vote for him in 2024, Russians will actually legitimize his war and indefinite rule of the country.

In March 2024, he plans to run for president for the fifth time since 2000. Before that, under the 2020 reform, he may not be limited to this election. According to the amended constitution, Putin can run for office twice more - in 2024 and 2030, which will allow him to rule until 2036.

As Foreign Affairs writes, in the context of the virtual absence of political competition, the new elections will give the Putin regime the opportunity to get everything it needs from the new recognition of its power.

However, this time, in the context of war, new unwritten rules have emerged that are taken into account by both Putin himself and Russian society. In order not to end up at the front themselves, most Russians will continue to support the current government in the elections. Voting ballots have become a kind of currency: Russians believe that in exchange for approving Putin's activities, they can get their own stability.

The publication notes that a high level of support for Putin is almost guaranteed. Some people will vote for him because of a sense of so-called civic duty, while others will be forced to do so because of pressure at work. Other votes may be fraudulent, including through the use of electronic voting systems.

In addition, Russians' attention to events in Ukraine has recently stagnated. According to a recent poll by the independent Levada Center, less than half of respondents are following the war in Ukraine closely. At the same time, Russian support for the army remains high: approximately 75% of respondents express support for the actions of the occupiers, with 45% expressing "strong support." On the other hand, polls show that slightly more than half of respondents favor the start of peace talks than the continuation of the war.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, the Russian government is testing a new electronic voting system before next year's presidential election. It is likely to further support efforts to manipulate the results in favor of dictator Vladimir Putin.

Earlier it was reported that Russian terrorist Igor Girkin announced his self-nomination for the Russian presidential election in 2024. He will run from prison.

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