The result is already known. The presidential election, which Vladimir Putin is certain to win, is scheduled to end on Sunday, March 17. After a first day of polling marked by sporadic incidents in a handful of polling stations, the opposition organized an operation in the mid-afternoon. “An Afternoon Against Putin”. “No to Putin and No to Putinism” Or “Russians Against War”, was written on signs placed in front of the Russian Embassy in Paris. Follow our live stream.
protest operations. Even if the protesters have no chance to influence the vote, they still want to show that they exist, as during Navalny’s funeral when crowds paid tribute to him in Moscow. Yulia Navalnaya, who promised to take the torch from her late husband despite being in exile, called on her supporters to go to the polls at the same time, Sunday afternoon (i.e. 10 am Paris time) and vote for whatever. . A candidate other than Putin.
An attempt to prevent consolidation. “Everyone was warned not to come to polling stations on Sunday afternoon. Some received notices from their companies, students were threatened with expulsion. There was almost an order to come and vote on Friday and Saturday.”Journalist Elena Nevsky assured franceinfo.
Putin is facing three innocent candidates. The outcome of the vote, in which Vladimir Putin, 71, faces three hand-picked and marginal candidates, is beyond doubt. Years of repression have decimated the opposition, which has accelerated with the conflict in Ukraine in the background of these elections.
