Russian presidential election, 2000

Russian presidential elections were held on March 26, 2000. Incumbent, Prime Minister, and acting President Vladimir Putin, who had succeeded Boris Yeltsin on his resignation December 31, 1999, was seeking a four-year term in his own right and won the elections in the first round. Polling stations were opened from 8 a. m. to 8 p. m. local time.

A total of 33 candidates were nominated, 15 submitted the application forms to the Central Electoral Committee, and ultimately 12 candidates were registered. One of them withdrawn shortly before the deadline, so there were 11 candidates that took part in the elections: Vladimir Putin, Gennady Zyuganov, Grigory Yavlinsky, Amangeldy Tuleyev, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Konstantin Titov, Ella Pamfilova, Stanislav Govorukhin, Yury Skuratov, Alexander Podberyozkin and Umar Dzhabrailov.

The decision to conduct the presidential elections also in Chechnya was perceived as controversial by many observers due to the military campaign and security concerns. [http://www1.osce.org/documents/odihr/2000/05/1449_en.pdf] . The legislative elections on December 191999 had been suspended in Chechnya for these reasons.

It is also notable that the number of registered voters had increased dramatically since the legislative elections - by 1,298,087.

The PACE observers delegation concluded that "the unequal access to television was one of the main reasons for a degree of unfairness of the campaign" and that "independent media have come under increasing pressure and that media in general, be they State-owned or private, failed to a large extent to provide impartial information about the election campaign and candidates." [ [http://assembly.coe.int/main.asp?Link=/documents/workingdocs/doc00/edoc8693.htm Ad hoc Committee to observe the Russian presidential election (26 March 2000)] PACE Report. April 3, 2000.]

The PACE delegation also reported that the media got more and more dominated by politically influential owners. The TV channel ORT launched a slanderous campaign against Yavlinsky's image as his ratings started to rise sharply, and broadcasters generally nearly ignored candidates who did not fulfil interests of their owners. One of the main independent broadcasters, NTV, was subject to increasing financial and administrative pressure during the electoral campaign.

Putin's campaign press service announced that he decided not to use the free radio and television time provided to all candidates and not to take part in TV debates. A number of other candidates explained this as a refusal to clarify his position on various controversial issues. However, during the campaign Putin excessively often appeared on TV screens as a newsmaker. [ [http://assembly.coe.int/main.asp?Link=/documents/workingdocs/doc00/edoc8693.htm Ad hoc Committee to observe the Russian presidential election (26 March 2000)] PACE Report. April 3, 2000.]

There were also many allegedly serious forgeries reported that could affect Putin's victory in the first round. [ [http://www.themoscowtimes.com/election_fraud.html Election Fraud Reports] .The Moscow Times. (in English)] [ [http://www.lib.ru/HISTORY/FELSHTINSKY/naslednik.txt The Operation "Successor"] by Vladimir Pribylovsky and Yuriy Felshtinsky. (in Russian)]

National summary

Putin’s highest official result was in Ingushetia - 85.42 %, his lowest achievement was in neighbouring Chechnya – 29.65%, Zyuganov’s results ranged from 47.41% in the Lipetsk region to 4.63% in Ingushetia, Yavlinsky’s results ranged from 18.56% in Moscow to 0.42% in Dagestan, Zhirinovsky’s results ranged from 6.13% in the Kamchatka region to 0.29% in Ingushetia.

References and notes

External links

* [http://www.mbstranslations.ru/Library/Prezident/Ch-IX-b.htm Federal Law «On the Election of the President of the Russian Federation»]
* [http://ww.fci.ru/way/326418/obj/202300.html Official results (in Russian)]
* [http://www2.essex.ac.uk/elect/electer/rus_prelr.htm Results in English]
*Hesli, Vicki L. & William M. Reisinger (2003). "The 1999-2000 Elections in Russia: Their Impact and Legacy". Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521816769::reviewed by Luke March in: Slavic Review 63.4 (Winter 2004), 897-898.
* [http://www1.osce.org/documents/odihr/2000/05/1449_en.pdf OSCE final report on the presidential election in the Russian Federation, 26 March 2000]
* [http://assembly.coe.int/main.asp?Link=/documents/workingdocs/doc00/edoc8693.htm Ad hoc Committee to observe the Russian presidential election (26 March 2000)] PACE Report. April 3, 2000.
* [http://www.electoralgeography.com/en/countries/r/russia/2000-president-elections-russia.html Electoral Geography. Russia, Presidential Elections, 2000.]
* [http://www.lib.ru/HISTORY/FELSHTINSKY/naslednik.txt The Operation "Successor"] by Vladimir Pribylovsky and Yuriy Felshtinsky (in Russian).
* [http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2000/09/09/119.html And the Winner Is?] by Yevgenia Borisova. The Moscow Times, September 92000.
* [http://www.themoscowtimes.com/election_fraud.html Election Fraud Reports] .The Moscow Times.
* [http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2000/09/09/115.html Hot Off the Press: Extra Ballots] by Yevgenia Borisova. The Moscow Times, September 92000.
* [http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2000/09/09/117.html How Many Forgeries?] by Yevgenia Borisova. The Moscow Times, September 92000.
* [http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2000/09/09/118.html Vicious Circle] by Yevgenia Borisova. The Moscow Times, September 92000.
* [http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2000/09/09/101.html Mordovia] by Yevgenia Borisova. The Moscow Times, September 92000.
* [http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2000/09/09/102.html Novosibirsk] by Yevgenia Borisova. The Moscow Times, September 92000.
* [http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2000/09/09/103.html Saratov] by Yevgenia Borisova. The Moscow Times, September 92000.
* [http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2000/09/09/104.html Primorye] by Nonna Chernyakova. The Moscow Times, September 92000.
* [http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2000/09/09/105.html Letter to the Saratov Communist Party] from three Saratov observers. The Moscow Times, September 92000.
* [http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2000/09/09/106.html A Saratov Territorial Commission Member Protests] by Yevgenia Borisova. The Moscow Times, September 92000.
* [http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2000/09/09/107.html Bashkortostan] by Yevgenia Borisova. The Moscow Times, September 92000.
* [http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2000/09/09/108.html Chechnya] by Mayerbeck Nunayev. The Moscow Times, September 92000.
* [http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2000/09/09/109.html Dagestan] by Yevgenia Borisova. The Moscow Times, September 92000.
* [http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2000/09/09/110.html Kabardino-Balkariya] by Yevgenia Borisova. The Moscow Times, September 92000.
* [http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2000/09/09/111.html Kaliningrad] by Gary Peach. The Moscow Times, September 92000.
* [http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2000/09/09/112.html Kursk] by Yevgenia Borisova. The Moscow Times, September 92000.
* [http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2000/09/09/113.html Nizhny Novgorod] by Yevgenia Borisova. The Moscow Times, September 92000.
* [http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2000/09/09/114.html Tatarstan] by Yevgenia Borisova. The Moscow Times, September 92000.
* [http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2000/11/18/006.html Dagestan Demands a Recount] by Robert Bruce Ware. The Moscow Times, November 182000.