In the context of the presidential elections in Russia, the events surrounding these elections appear to have gone far beyond what many international and local observers might have expected as typical of the electoral process in the Russian Federation. Acts of protest such as tampering with bright green ballot boxes, burning ballots, throwing Molotov cocktails at a polling station, and detonating bombs near other polling stations are not only an expression of desperation, but also a growing protest against Putin’s regime. , because we did not observe such actions in the previous elections.

Several issues are happening for the first time in this presidential election with a known outcome. For the first time, voting is being held over three days, from March 15 to 17, to ensure a higher turnout, but even so, Russia no longer has a turnout threshold for the election to be considered valid. Voting is also done online to show some progress. Even Putin would vote online, but several experts tell us that this voting method is the easiest to cheat. And most importantly, elections are held in Ukrainian regions illegally annexed by Russia, such as Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, for this reason alone the presidential elections in Russia should be recognized as having not taken place.

“Noon against Putin”

But it seems that there is a single strategy of the Russian opposition, namely the protest action “Noon against Putin” is an attempt to mobilize the protest electorate, to show their civil discontent, given that the result of the election seems to be decided, in the context in which Vladimir Putin long before that declared that he would get more than 80% of the votes in the presidential elections.

The main advantage of this initiative is the creation of a visible and unified platform of expression for those who oppose the current regime. The nationwide mobilization, which Alexei Navalny spoke about before his death in prison, emphasizes the desire for change and opposition to the continuation of the war and Putin’s repressive domestic policy. Participating in Noon Against Putin, even just by being near the polling stations on the main election day, March 17 at 12:00 p.m., without voting, sends a strong message of opposition to Vladimir Putin and Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine.

On the other hand, opposition strategies, including voting for the anti-war candidate Vladyslav Davankov, spoiling ballots, or leaving an anti-war message, raise doubts about their effectiveness in bringing about real change. These acts of protest can lead to the dispersion of opposition efforts and weaken the influence that a united front can have. In addition, increased overall turnout, even through protest voting or spoiled ballots, can be interpreted by the regime as a check on the electoral process.

Despite these challenges, this year’s Russian presidential election was not without surprises, at least in terms of protests and attempts to challenge the current situation in Russia. It remains an open question whether these individual protest actions, like the joint one announced by Navalny and his supporters, will be able to significantly influence Russian politics in the long term, or whether these actions will be suppressed by the system. Putin, as always, has shown that he is ready to go to extreme measures to continue to stay in power, including the creation of criminal cases, the detention and then the arrest of participants in this mass process, which, in my opinion, should have happened. quite visible at least in large Russian cities.

Who makes sure that Putin does not falsify the elections?

The recent presidential elections in Russia, which saw a new mandate for Vladimir Putin with an expected percentage of more than 80% of the vote, cannot be legitimate because they are not properly monitored. An important aspect of these elections is the absence of an observer mission from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which left room only for a mission from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), whose impartiality and legitimacy are seriously questioned.

The lack of independent monitoring raises serious questions about the integrity of the electoral process. In this context, the question arises: what else can be done for concrete changes in Russia, if the Russians cannot achieve changes through elections? In my opinion, the solution in the current context can be support and activation of aid to Ukraine. I mean, including military aid to the Ukrainian armed forces, support of Russian volunteer units fighting against Putin’s regime. This would be a form of real opposition, because there are no democratic elections in Russia.

The joint voice of Western countries regarding the non-recognition of the elections is important

However, it is also important to point out the reaction of the international community here, as recognizing the results of the presidential elections in Russia and, implicitly, the legitimacy of Putin as president would mean capitulation to a regime accused of numerous human rights violations. violations and military aggression in Ukraine. The collective refusal of the West to recognize these elections may somehow affect the situation in Russia.

Of course, the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (neighboring or close to Russia), such as the Baltic countries, the countries of Northern Europe or Poland and Romania, definitely do not recognize these elections. But the most important thing is how such great powers as the USA, Great Britain, Germany and France will react. This question remains open and has serious consequences not only for international relations, but also for future strategies of negotiations with the Russian Federation. Not recognizing Putin as president could create a moral and legal basis for refusing to talk to him, which could pave the way for new ways of engaging with Russia that bypass negotiations with the current president. _Read the entire article and comment on Contributors.ro