Media: The Kremlin decided to turn the election into a referendum on confidence in Putin
Instead of holding a presidential election in 2018, Russia wants to hold a referendum on the Russian people’s confidence in Vladimir Putin.
As reported by Dozhd TV Channel, the Kremlin is making plans for special procedures for the presidential election of 2018.
“We expect a referendum on confidence in the national leader”…As was reported earlier by Dozhd, the presidential administration does not see any point in making an effort to choose opponents for Putin who have shown an interest in the election. “As of right now, there is simply no candidate that can be nominated who would create interest in the elections,” a source told Dozhd. There just isn’t such a person, according to the Kremlin, and the Head of the Anti-Corruption Foundation, Alexei Navalny, is not a suitable candidate. “The presence of such a person in the election would create a lot of negativity toward the government but would not contribute significantly to voter turnout,” Dozhd ‘s interlocutor stated.
Dozhd news website reported, citing its sources, that there will not be an election in Russia in March 2018, but a referendum on confidence in Putin.
The Kremlin has already set the goal of getting a higher percentage of the vote for Putin than ever before. Incidentally, Putin received just over 63% of the vote in 2012.
The presidential election in Russia will take place on March 11, 2018.