A reader might be tempted to dismiss this article out of hand. Elections? In Russia? Come on now! Everyone knows that Russia is not a democracy and that the variegated parties fall in line on everything of importance, especially the war against Ukraine. 

Nevertheless, Western observers should still pay attention to the upcoming parliamentary elections because they give us insights into Russian public opinion and the Kremlin’s vision for the country’s future.

Scheduled to take place on September 18-20, the elections will determine the make-up of the State Duma, Russia’s lower chamber. 450 seats are up for grabs. When thinking about it, however, it is important to avoid the usual patterns of describing elections in functional democracies. Russian elections are neither free nor fair; they are rigged by the Kremlin while independent observers are intimidated or repressed. 

The Kremlin’s approach to politics is one of theater. Russia is, unexpectedly for some, a deeply legalistic dictatorship. The Kremlin has been keeping up the appearance of respecting the letter of the law, though that law is regularly bent to the Kremlin’s will and disregarded when needed. Still, President Vladimir Putin seems to want to keep at least a veneer of legality. That is why activists jailed in Russia are normally sentenced under some article and after some form of a trial. Compare it with Iran or El Salvador, where there is often no legal justification for repression.

The Kremlin's interest in legality does not make the Russian system better than those more overt dictatorships. But understanding it allows us to comprehend why the Duma elections are still held every five years despite Russia’s democratic backsliding. They present an image of normality that, for the Kremlin, contrasts especially well with Ukraine, which has held no elections since the 2022 full-scale invasion. This year’s results will be rigged for certain — where independent observers accounted for over ten million rigged votes in the 2021 election. But the veneer of public participation in politics will be there, which is what matters to the Kremlin. 

Some of the parties taking part are relics of the more chaotic but arguably more democratic past, like the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF). They were once a legitimate political force with presidential ambitions and still control mammoth funds and a loyal voting base across the country. Occasionally, they are able to mount serious challenges to the Kremlin, especially further from Moscow or on policies concerning social issues. 

Lastly, the Kremlin uses elections as a barometer of public opinion. The Russian government is not a monolith, and there still exists space — though small and rapidly shrinking — for political experiments and discussion. The........

© The Moscow Times