Russian President Putin’s Party Wins ‘Fraud Tainted’ Vote

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

(Worthy News) – Russian President Vladimir Putin’s party has won a parliamentary majority, official results showed following a vote tainted by signs of fraud.

With almost all ballots counted, the United Russia party won nearly 50 percent of the vote, marking a slight drop from the previous election, according to the election commission.

Its closest rival, the Communist Party, had about 19 percent of the vote, election officials claimed.

United Russia’s victory means the party will have more than two-thirds of the 450 seats in the country’s parliament, with virtually no serious opposition to challenge its decisions.

But questions were immediately raised about the reported outcome as footage emerged of numerous cases of apparent wrongdoing.

In one surveillance video, a hand appears from behind a Russian flag to stuff ballots into a box.

In another, a woman is seen removing ballot papers from under her clothes and, with the help of another woman, puts them into the box amid sounds of giggling.

And then there’s the mop being raised by someone to cover a camera in a room where workers were reviewing documents after the polling place in southern Russia had closed.

They were among many examples voted by critics doubting the Kremlin’s narrative that fair and honest elections have been held in this nation of 142 million people.

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