Support The Moscow Times!

Kremlin Says 'Theoretically Possible' to Not Hold Presidential Elections

Vladimir Putin seen voting in the 2018 Russian presidential election. TASS / kremlin.ru

Russian President Vladimir Putin can choose not to hold presidential elections next year because he will “obviously” win re-election, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said late Sunday.

Putin is widely expected to declare his bid for a fifth overall presidential term. Pre-war constitutional changes allow him to remain president until 2036.

“Although elections are a requirement of democracy and Putin himself has decided to hold them, theoretically it’s possible not to hold them,” Peskov told Russia’s RBC news website.

“Because it’s already obvious that Putin will be elected,” he said, noting that the statement is “absolutely [my] personal opinion.”

Peskov spoke with RBC after the New York Times quoted him forecasting a 90% victory for Putin in next year's presidential election.

“Our presidential election is not really democracy, it is costly bureaucracy... Mr. Putin will be re-elected next year with more than 90% of the vote,” Peskov told NYT.

Peskov later claimed to have been misquoted but the publication, but stressed to RBC that his projection for Putin’s wide margin of victory is “based on the level of consolidation of society” around the Russian leader.

Russia’s next presidential election is scheduled for March 17, 2024, amid an intensifying crackdown on criticism of what the Kremlin calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine.

Mass anti-war protests are effectively outlawed under legislation passed in the wake of the invasion last year, and most prominent opposition activists have fled abroad in fear of being jailed.

This year, elections in dozens of regions across Russia will be held in September, with 18 regional heads, members of 16 regional parliaments, and 12 town councils, as well as the mayor of Khabarovsk in the Far East, being elected by direct vote.

The Kremlin is also expected to hold a vote in the four Ukrainian territories it claimed to have annexed last fall.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more