"Elections" in the occupied territories: what consequences will they have for Putin and the Russian Federation

What happened in the occupied territories and in the Russian Federation itself on September 10 cannot be called an election, says Russian oppositionist and political analyst Ivan Preobrazhensky. According to him, it is a matter of good management by the authorities of the Russian Federation.

"It cannot be called an election, even from the point of view of modern Russian legislation. It had to change seriously because of this in particular: because the laws do not allow voting during a state of emergency. And maybe the same changes will be used to hold fake presidential elections in Russia, which will be held in 2024," says Preobraženski.

 

"Virtual" voting

 

Voting for certain categories of "voters" started online already on September 1, during the so-called "preliminary elections". And mass "voters" could "vote" remotely from September 8 to 10.

On Sunday, local propaganda media in various occupied regions already reported on an extremely high turnout of "voters" before noon. At 12:00 p.m., 60 percent of eligible voters "voted" in the part of the Zaporozhye region occupied by the Russian Federation. And in the occupied part of Donetsk Oblast, polling stations close at 3 p.m. — and local pro-Russian authorities are talking about an 80 percent voter turnout.

Ivan Preobraženski notes that the "virtuality" of these elections even in the Russian Federation itself shows vivid data.

"In Moscow, for example, out of 7.6 million voters, only 2.5 million voted, of which 2.1 million online. That is, only 400,000 people came to the polling station in person.

I think that in the temporarily occupied territories, where it is not clear how many people remained after the Russian aggression, after a huge number of cities were simply destroyed, it is absolutely impossible to talk about either the turnout or the number of voters. It is clear that these are completely virtual numbers invented by the Russian occupation authorities and collaborators who help them organize this spectacle," says the analyst.

 

 

"Foreign observers" in the occupied territories

 

RosZMI also massively published enthusiastic reviews of the "elections" of the two American "observers" at the pseudo-voting. Klein Preston IV and Steven Lee Gill are pictured from occupied Donetsk. Two "observers" talk about "happy people" at the stations and Russian soldiers who are there "just for protection". They also note the absence of foreign journalists.

According to a profile on the European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE), Klein Preston is an American lawyer whose clients include Russian politicians with close ties to Putin. Preston was characterized on the platform as a "prejudiced observer". He himself admits that he is "following" the elections for the sixth time.  

"Russia has been using such pocket observers for a long time in all occupied territories: since it occupied Abkhazia and Ossetia," says political analyst Ivan Preobraženski.

According to experts, there is a whole block of "non-commercial, non-governmental" organizations that "observe" the elections for money from the Russian authorities. They also cooperate with totalitarian regimes in other countries. Some of them are Americans, some Germans, perhaps from the far-right Alternative for Germany party. The program for them is standard: they bring them to expensive hotels, provide them with a pleasant stay.

"There are people who are not afraid to come to North Korea and write something about the elections. Of course, with a fee, with a fee from the North Korean totalitarian regime. Usually it is always a few people, a few dozen at most. That's why they try not to take risks - not to take them too far. They mostly sent to big cities, recorded in several stations", comments Ivan Preobraženski.

Previously, there were plenty of such "observers", and some European MPs also came to the pseudo-referendum in occupied Crimea. Now there are fewer of them, emphasizes the expert:

"These are often not politicians or even public figures. But Russian propaganda, as we know, can turn a car mechanic into a political scientist in a matter of hours. And many viewers still believe what they are told," emphasizes Preobraženski.

 

Who will come to the occupying power?

 

Representatives of the pro-government United Russia party won more than 78 percent of the votes in the occupied part of the Donetsk region. The situation is approximately the same in all regions under the occupation of the Russian Federation.

Refat Chubarov, head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, also announced the "occupation" of all mandates in the elections by Putin's "United Russia" party in occupied Crimea. According to him, even the Russian communists complain about this.

"One of these politicians, apparently from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, complains - and it got into the press - that "United Russia" has occupied all the power in Crimea and does not allow anyone to complain. That is, in occupied Crimea, the occupiers themselves resent the fact that the ruling party occupied everything," says Chubarov.

Ivan Preobraženski confirms that representatives of the Russian pseudo-opposition in the occupied regions have been reduced to a minimum, because the Kremlin needs to control the conquered territories 100 percent.

 

Associate economists in the occupied regions tell local media after the pseudo-voting that the elections will supposedly improve the economic development of the territories occupied by the Russian Federation. In fact, the elections will not change anything significant, comments Ivan Preobraženski. After all, there are very few new figures in the occupation government.

"Nothing fundamentally changes: the people who were there at the end of last year - at the beginning of this year remain in power in the occupied regions. These are mostly former representatives of local pro-Russian parties, primarily the Party of Regions. In part, it is about collaborators or personalities sent from Russia, who have nothing to do with the occupied regions", comments the expert.

 

Speaks against "choice"

 

On September 9, a video with the Ukrainian flag over the city appeared in the public of occupied Donetsk.

In occupied Crimea, the days of the "election" were marked by pro-Ukrainian speeches. The "Yellow Ribbon" movement showed a burning Russian flag removed from a polling station in Crimea. Also, on the eve of the pseudo-voting, activists of the movement reported that more than 1,500 copies of campaign brochures from "United Russia" were burned the day before the "election". It was also possible to distribute 500 new pro-Ukrainian posters and yellow ribbons. Actions took place in Sevastopol, Simferopol, Yalta, Feodosia, Dzhankoja and Yevpatoria.

On September 7, criminal proceedings were initiated against the residents of Sevastopol for "insulting" the Russian flag, reports the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs of the occupied city. According to the Russian security forces, the 21-year-old detainee pushed the tricolor near the Kornilov monument. He also "publicly expressed disagreement" with the Russian Federation's war against Ukraine. Later, local media shared a video in which a guy who looks like a detainee accuses Moscow of starting the war and calls Crimea the territory of Ukraine.

 

Reaction to pseudo-elections

 

The EU does not recognize the results of the illegal elections held by the Russian Federation in the occupied regions of Ukraine, according to the statement of the High Representative on behalf of the European Union, published on the website of the EU Representation in Ukraine.

"We strongly reject this futile attempt by Russia to legitimize or normalize its illegal military control and attempt to annex part of the Ukrainian territories... The European Union does not recognize and will not recognize either the holding of these so-called "elections" or their "results". The political leadership of Russia and the persons involved in their organization will be held responsible for these illegal actions," the statement said.

The so-called "elections" held in gross violation of international law are another illustration of the denial of the values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law by the Russian Federation, the Council of Europe announced. The head of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe Kristianis Karinsh, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Tinie Cox and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Maria Pejčinović-Burić made a joint statement about the pseudo-voting.

The United States will never recognize the so-called "elections," said US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. The State Department threatens sanctions against those involved in the organization of elections in the Russian Federation, especially "observers". "Russia's actions demonstrate its blatant disregard for the principles of the UN Charter, such as respect for state sovereignty and territorial integrity, which are the basis of global security and stability. The United States will never recognize the claims of the Russian Federation to any sovereign territory of Ukraine. And we remind all persons who may support Russian fraudulent elections in Ukraine, especially in the role of so-called "international observers", that they may be subject to sanctions and visa restrictions," said Anthony Blinken.

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned the holding of fraudulent elections.

"France strongly condemns Russia's organization of fraudulent elections on the territory of Ukraine, especially in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, as well as in the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson," the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement on September 8.

It is also said that Paris will not recognize the results of the fraudulent election.

Ukraine should step up its efforts to recognize Ella Pamfilova, the head of the Central Committee of Russia, as an international criminal, said the Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, Refat Chubarov.  

 

"As a country, we must take a very serious look at what can be done at the international level regarding Ela Pamfilova, who is the head of the Central Election Commission of Russia, because today she commented on what is happening in Crimea. Some phone threats about landmines. Like, it didn't disrupt the elections and they are being held normally, as Pamfilova says. I believe she is one of the international criminals. And we need to intensify our work on his maximum isolation", said the chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people.

Holding pseudo-elections can have fatal consequences for the Russian authorities, and especially for Putin, according to political analyst Ivan Preobraženski. After all, he may repeat the fate of the unrecognized president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko.

Statements by the State Department and other official bodies should also be considered in the context of the upcoming 2024 presidential election. Earlier, there were already signals that the West is finally ready not to fully recognize the results of the presidential elections in Russia, as was the case in Belarus in 2020... "The same should happen with Russia, because it is being elections are not held at the moment. They are held not only in the temporarily occupied territories, but also in the autochthonous territories of Russia. It is obvious that the vote was completely rigged. Accordingly, in this case, there should be no other reaction from the West," says the political analyst.