PRESS REVIEW – Friday, September 18: Russia holds its first parliamentary elections since the Ukraine war. Since only parties loyal to Vladimir Putin are running, the elections are seen as nothing but a veneer of democracy. In sports: Zinedine Zidane will unveil his first selection as coach of the French football team. Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic organisers approve a croc-infested river to hold canoe and rowing events. Finally, the first new feline species in a century has been discovered.
PRESS REVIEW: Early voting is underway in Russia, which is holding its first parliamentary election since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The result is a foregone conclusion – Vladimir Putin’s party is all but guaranteed to win given that only parties supporting Putin have been registered to run. In its analysis today, the Moscow Times details how Russia has barred opposition candidates from running. The paper talks to Iya Boronina, a politician from the republic of Udmurtia – who was disqualified from running because of a song she used in a campaign video. Other candidates have been disqualified for posting photos or references to the late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. The paper explains that these widespread disqualifications reflect efforts by regional officials to show their loyalty to the Kremlin.
