Elections without choice in Russia

There is no doubt that Vladimir Putin's party (United Russia) will win an overwhelming majority in Russia's parliamentary election on Sunday but non in a democratic way.

State-run media brainstorms people to vote for president and United Russia. State employees being pressured to vote at work or to fund United Russia and even of schools encouraging parents to do their patriotic duty and back the president.

"Elections without choice", commented the New Times, an independent political weekly, above an article illustrated by a Soviet-style poster urging the masses to back Putin.

"The old Soviet mentality is alive and well and people are returning to their former ways," echoed political analyst Georgy Bovt in a newspaper article.

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