JRL NEWSWATCH: “Fury Over Pension Changes Hurts Putin Allies in Russian Regional Elections” – Reuters

“Russia’s ruling United Russia Party suffered a rare setback in regional elections despite winning most of the seats, a reversal its leaders and election chiefs blamed on unpopular plans to raise the pension age. … [R]esults in weekend voting for heads of about one third of Russia’s regions were the worst for United Russia … since elections for regional leaders were re-introduced in 2012. Four Kremlin-backed candidates were forced into run-off votes. Two were beaten into second place — by a communist and a nationalist — and two finished first but failed to win the more than 50 percent of votes needed for outright victory. …”

When protests opposing planned pension reforms occurred, police detained over 1000.

Moscow Mayor and former senior Putin aide Sergei Sobyanin was re-elected with about 70 percent, but turnout in Moscow was only 30 percent.

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