Yesterday, the Central Electoral Commission announced the final results of the parliamentary elections and its members signed a protocol confirming the legitimacy of the polls, despite the fact that the elections were marred by allegations of widespread electoral fraud in favor of United Russia,RIA Novosti reports.
Russia’s governing party, United Russia, will have 238 seats in the new State Duma following Sunday’s parliamentary elections, Central Electoral Commission deputy head Leonid Ivlev said on Friday. The result means Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s party has lost 77 seats, but just retains a parliamentary majority.
United Russia enjoyed a two-thirds majority in the previous parliament, giving it the ability to rewrite the Constitution at will.
The Communist Party of the Russian Federation will have 92 seats, the ultranationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) 56 and A Just Russia 64 seats.
Turnout was 60.21 percent, Ivlev said.
Following the allegations of frauds and violations, a poll protest rally due to be held today on Bolotnaya Square is expected to draw some 30,000 people in Moscow. Protest demonstrations are to be held in other Russian cities as well. The day after the election saw Moscow’s largest opposition demonstration for over a decade, with around 5,000 people in attendance.
