Posted on 03/18/2024 11:49:12 AM PDT by UMCRevMom@aol.com
President Vladimir Putin extended his reign over Russia in a landslide election whose outcome was never in doubt, declaring Monday his determination to advance deeper into Ukraine and dangling new threats against the West.
After the harshest crackdown on dissent since Soviet times, it was clear from the earliest returns that Putin’s nearly quarter-century rule would continue with a fifth term that grants him six more years. Still, Russians heeded a call to protest Putin’s repression and his war in Ukraine by showing up at polling stations at noon on Sunday. With all the precincts counted Monday, election officials said Putin had secured a record number of votes, underlining his total control over the political system. U.S. and other Western leaders denounced the election as a sham.
The election was “neither free nor fair in any sort of way,” said Nigel Gould-Davies, a senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. Ahead of the election, Putin’s greatest political foe, Alexei Navalny, died in an Arctic penal colony, anti-war candidates were barred from the ballot and independent voices were silenced in a Kremlin-backed media blockade. No independent monitoring organizations were able to observe the election and analysts said online polling meant the vote was highly susceptible to manipulation. Any public criticism of Putin or his war in Ukraine has been stifled.
Putin appeared Monday evening on Red Square in the heart of Moscow at a concert to mark the tenth year since he annexed Crimea from Ukraine. Putin’s three token challengers for the presidency appeared on stage beside him and publicly supported him after campaigns in which none of them criticized him.
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
“... they haven’t been legitimate there for quite a number of years...”
ditto in USA
Because of their huge land mass Russia also uses the mail-in ballot and now added a new concept - internet voting.
If Biden can find a way to order another national emergency (like covid) before November 6, two bits he tries to institute internet voting. Can you imagine how his henchmen would handle that??
How did these crooks get away?
This is the intro from the following 9/7/23 Ukrainian YouTube video entitled, "MP's Military Vehicles: Rolls-Royce, Maybach, and Other Cars Worth $3 Million"
MP's Military Vehicles: Rolls-Royce, Maybach, and Other Cars Worth $3 Million
"During the full-scale war, the car collections of the deputies have significantly grown. Elected representatives from various parties haven't stopped indulging in themselves with Mercedes and BMWs worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
"The individuals featured in this episode have collectively acquired cars worth approximately $3 million. This is an amount that could have supplied the military with around three hundred off-road vehicles.
"Meanwhile, deputies are not voting in favor of opening the declaration registry because it would make it harder to hide their valuable assets."
Now we know where a few of our tax dollars went.
This is the Second Soviet Era.
Lol...deal with it, Eva.
“Cleaner elections than American “elections”...”
Arguably true since a 100% rigged election is much cleaner than a messy election that’s only partially rigged.
“Lol...deal with it, Eva.”
Sure thing Dr. Mengele.
Six more years! Whether you like it or don’t like it, start learning to live with it because Putin is going to around at least that long.
Zelensky cancelled YouCrayne elections.
Both Ruzzia and YouCrayne are Corrupt.
Both are run by dictators.
That video link I posted above has information that a western poll company recognized by the US pegged Putin at 80 to 85% Putin BEFORE the election. Why do you not believe that it is not possible that Putin won by the margin reported? International observers were there too, despite being threatened by the US, but that’s a separate story in itself.
Sure thing Dr. Mengele.
Meggie is very familiar with nazis. She learned everything she knows from them.
not sure Biden’s America has any business calling out Putin’s Russia....but prove me wrong please!
In the United States, the international observers of American "elections" might end up in the DC Lubyanka, for a show trial like the Soviet show trials of 1937...
And we used to make fun of Pravda and TASS when we were young...
“Zelensky cancelled Ukraine elections”
“Wartime Elections in Ukraine Are Impossible:
Voting in the middle of the Russian invasion is legally and practically unworkable.”
Foreign Policy Magazine: Lee Reaney
FACTS that may help:
ARTICLE 83 of the Ukrainian Constitution states that if the term of the Verkhovna Rada expires under martial law, it shall automatically be extended until a new Rada is seated following the end of martial law.
ARTICLE 19 of Ukraine’s martial law legislation specifically forbids conducting national elections. Thus, for Ukraine to conduct elections while under martial law would be a violation of legal norms that predate Zelensky and the full-scale Russian invasion.
Kox acknowledged this in a subsequent conversation with Olha Aivazovska, the head of Ukraine’s top election watchdog, stating that “it is clear that [Ukraine’s] CONSTITUTION does not allow you to organize elections when martial law is applicable.”
However, even BEYOND the legal issues, there are practical obstacles that would simply be impossible to overcome.
1. Ukraine is fighting a war in which the entire country is subject to Russian attack at any moment.
2. Nationwide air raid alerts are a very common occurrence and can last anywhere from 20 minutes to many hours. The writing of this very article was disrupted by a Russian missile salvo on Lviv, which killed 10 people and rocked the authors’ windows.
3. The disruptions from air raids would make reliable voting, counting, and tabulation across the country simply impossible.
4. Ukraine has a system of procedures to ensure the integrity of the voting process.
All ballot boxes must be visible by observers and members of the precinct electoral committee at all times so that no stuffing of ballots or other malfeasance can take place.
5. Counting of ballots must occur in a single sitting in sight of all observers and committee members. How can constant oversight of ballots, voter lists, and other important documents be maintained as everyone shuffles off to the bomb shelter?
6. How can security be maintained when everybody in the voting hall and lined up outside needs to crowd into the limited bombshelter space?
7. The ongoing bombing also makes it impractical to ensure that every Ukrainian has an equal opportunity to vote.
Ukraine cannot provide fair access to the ballot when the act of going to cast one’s ballot carries varying levels of risk across the country:
-issues of safety (including the prevalence of mines)
-access (destruction of polling locations)
-disruptions to key electoral resources (outdated voter lists)
-huge amounts of displaced persons
A country under a full-scale invasion and occupation is simply in no position to vote.
“Maybe you could start praying for America.”
Such a sily comment. I have never stopped praying for my country or you.
“This is the Second Soviet Era.”
Little Emperor Putin truly is trying hard!
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