Putin sees non-parliamentary parties taking part in 2016 Duma polls

(Interfax – September 17, 2015)

The regional elections that took place on 13 September in Russia were a fair and competitive fight, and many non-parliamentary parties will take part in the 2016 State Duma election, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said, as reported by Russian news agencies on 17 September.

“The election campaign took place in conditions of an open and honest, sometimes very acute, competitive fight,” privately-owned Russian news agency Interfax quoted Putin as saying at a meeting of newly elected heads of regions.

Putin said that although rivalry had hotted up, the legitimacy both of the voting mechanism and the results of the elections are confirmed by all parties that took part in the elections. And this “once again indicates that a multiparty system is developing in Russia, and political culture is growing”, Putin said.

On the State Duma elections scheduled for September 2016, Putin said: “In the upcoming election campaign for the State Duma, it is important to work on public consolidation to unite all constructive forces to resolve key tasks to develop the country,” RIA Novosti (part of the Russian state-owned International News Agency Rossiya Segodnya) quoted him as saying.

Putin also said the competitiveness and legitimacy of the 2016 elections must be ensured and that many representatives of non-parliamentary parties would take part, Interfax reported.

“Non-parliamentary parties have become more and more noticeable. During the past [election] campaign they took an active part in elections at various levels,” Putin said.

“I note also that many strong candidates, your rivals in the current elections, next year will probably become candidates in the State Duma elections, including in single-seat constituencies,” Putin told the governors.

“I’ve said that not only parliamentary, but also nonparliamentary parties took an active part. That indicates that twice the number of political parties will take part in the State Duma elections than last time,” Putin said.