NYT: Putin’s Party Wins in Russia, but Leadership Is Still Clouded - by Clifford J.Levy

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Putin’s Party Wins in Russia, but Leadership Is Still Clouded - by Clifford J.Levy

"President Vladimir V. Putin’s party secured a landslide in parliamentary elections on Sunday after a campaign in which the Kremlin persistently hobbled the opposition. Yet while the results represent a triumph for Mr. Putin, they also usher in a new era of political instability for Russia.Early results and exit polls demonstrated United Russia’s overwhelming advantages, which had been widely predicted. According to results published late Sunday by Interfax, the Russian news agency, with 30.6 percent of the votes tallied, United Russia received 63.6 percent of the vote, following far behind by the Communist Party, which garnered 11.3 percent.

Stanislav Belkovsky, a prominent political analyst here, said people misunderstood Russian history and tradition. They are in awe of Mr. Putin’s high popularity ratings and fail to understand that once he leaves office, his aura will fade and authority will instinctively transfer to the new president, Mr. Belkovsky said. What is more, many of Russia’s problems, including inflation and corruption, are likely to worsen next year, and the new president will most likely try to shift blame for them to Mr. Putin, damaging his standing, Mr. Belkovsky said.