The Russian parliament’s upper house has established March 17, 2024 as the official date for the next presidential election. According to the commission’s president, Ella Pamfilova, the Central Election Commission will have its first official meeting on election organisation on Friday.
Pamfilova believes that “decently conducted presidential elections” will ensure Russia’s strength in many ways.
Valentina Matvienko, the speaker of the upper chamber of parliament, called the approaching election “historic,” stating, “The success of our Russian response to the main challenges of the time depends first and foremost on these presidential elections.” “Obviously, the entire world will be watching us,” she added. Because the Russian Federation is now one of the primary architects of a just world.
President Vladimir Putin declined to comment earlier on the possibility of running for another term, saying he would return to the topic after the parliament decides when to schedule the vote.
“When the decision is made, the election will be announced, the date will be appointed, then we will talk,” Putin said at a plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum in September.
In late November, the head of the Communist Party (CPRF), Gennady Zyuganov, said, “we will go to the elections,” but did not provide details regarding his own participation, noting that the party was “ready for the elections.”
The last presidential election in Russia was held in 2018. Candidates from the CPRF, LDPR, Russian People’s Union, Civic Initiatives, Communists of Russia, Yabloko, and the Party of Growth took part. Putin ran as a self-nominated candidate and received over 76% of the vote. Pavel Grudinin, the CPRF candidate, came in second with over 11%.
In 2012, Putin ran on the United Russia party ticket, as his successor at the time, Dmitry Medvedev, did in 2008. He also ran as a self-nominated candidate in 2000, 2004, and 2018.
