Russia, Elections, Democracy

In: Government & opposition: an international journal of comparative politics, Band 35, Heft 3, S. 302-324

Abstract

An examination of elections in Russia focuses on the 1988 law allowing a choice of candidates, the 1991 election of political outsider Boris Yeltsin as the first president, & subsequent Duma & presidential elections. It is argued that the Dec 1999 & Mar 2000 elections offered little to substantiate existence of an institutionalized democracy. Rather, Yeltsin & his supporters managed to manipulate the elections to get the results they desired despite a dire economic situation that favored their opponents. Personal behavior that contributed to Yeltsin's plummeting popularity is described, along with increasing support for Vladimir Putin precipitated by an incursion of Islamic fundamentalists from Chechnya into Dagestan. A description of various political parties emphasizes that they were still weakly articulated in 1999. It is contended that Yeltsin's early resignation & his support of Putin, his head of state security & designated successor, were contrived efforts to place other candidates at a disadvantage, as were Putin's refusal to participate in TV debates, cultural influences, & serious problems in electoral organization & administration. 2 Tables. J. Lindroth