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Communist Party candidate Nikolay Kharitonov is the runner-up with 4.32%
Ria Novosti reports: the total turnout, according to the data at 20:37 was 74.22%
Putin's preliminary result is a record in the history of modern Russia. In 2018, he gained 76.69% in the presidential elections, in 2012, 63.6%. Dmitry Medvedev won in 2008 with the result of 70.28%. In 2004 and 2000, Putin was in the lead from 71.31% and 52.9%, respectively. In 1996 Boris Yeltsin won [rigged with help of US] the second round with the result of 53.82%.
The 3.8% is some irrelevant lib that hardly anyone had even heard of before this election and who will fade again into irrelevancy just as quickly. He was just a placeholder to aggregate all of the disaffected libs behind. At least Kharitonov and Slutsky are somewhat known names, even if the latter is a total shit bag.
Anyway, i think this election isn't really representative of the support that the KPRF actually has, as i said these were unusual circumstances what with the conflict sparking a patriotic wave and people wanting to show support for the commander in chief or at the very least keep the country stable until the war is won.
Imo regional elections in non-presidential election years are more indicative of the actual level of support that each party enjoys. And in those the KPRF tends to do quite well actually. Clearly Putin is incredibly popular, but that is not always the case for his party as a whole and other candidates that they run in lower level elections do lose to communists sometimes.
KPRF needs younger leadership imo. Particularly younger people who weren't yet politically conscious in the 90s and who haven't been so traumatized by the political defeats suffered by communists during that time. I believe there is a kind of collective political PTSD among communists who were active in that difficult period that makes them very timid and prone to compromise and capitulation.
(Don't quote me on that though, it's just some armchair psychology on my part and may be total bullshit. In fact i know there are older communists in Russia who are quite radical, if somewhat behind the times in many ways...)
I agree with your views, I had the same experiences with older communists. Also hoping that the younger gen can turn things around