DIGIVESTASI - Russia's presidential election begins today and ends on March 17. It is the people who will decide who will be the future leader of Russia. However, some Western media expect incumbent President Vladimir Putin to be re-elected as president. President Putin will return to power for at least a decade, until the 2030s.

This is not without reason. According to CNN International, Putin's dominance over the Russian electoral system will only strengthen as the election approaches. His closest rival, Alexei Navalny, who died in prison last month, is also barred from running. This also applies to anti-war politician Boris Nadezhdin.  

It is known that voting is actually taking place in some overseas territories among Russian expatriates around the world. Voting will not only take place on Russian territory, but also on Ukrainian territory that will be annexed in September 2022. Similar to RI, if no candidate receives 50% or more of the vote after this weekend, then a second round of voting will be held three weeks later. Parliamentary elections to form a new Duma (Russian House of Representatives) are scheduled for 2026.

Why can Putin remain president of Russia for life?

It has to do with a change in the law in 2021. This would allow Putin to run for two more terms, potentially extending his term to 2036. At that time, a referendum was held in 2020 to reset presidential term limits. Initially there were only two terms, but they became more than that.

It also follows President Putin's attempt to amend the constitution in 2008 to extend the presidential term. Originally a four-year presidential term, it is now six years.

"He served as head of state for most of the 21st century, expanding his power by rewriting the rules and customs of Russia's political system," CNN International said in an analysis. "This makes him Russia's longest-serving ruler since Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin," it added.

Is President Putin popular with the people?

There is little opinion in Russia. However, the Levada Center, a non-governmental polling organization, reports that the approval rate for President Putin is over 80%. This large increase in votes is a result of Russia's war against Ukraine. The war sent a nationalist message and helped President Putin gain the support of the Russian people. The site adds: "His image will improve and even if the Russian operation fails in 2023, the war will still have widespread support."

The Levada Center emphasizes that rising inflation and rising food prices could have a long-term impact on the mood of the Russian people. In addition, the proportion of people reducing spending is also increasing.

"But that doesn't mean Russians expect this election to change the direction of the country. Putin benefits a lot from indifference," the official said. "Most of Russian society has never experienced a democratic transfer of power between traditionally opposing political parties," he added.

Former President Vladimir Putin's speechwriter Abbas Gallyamov says dissatisfaction with the president is actually rising in Russia. But he said Putin is at least trying to exclude opposition leaders from society to keep discontent "unstructured."

"Ahead of the upcoming elections, they are unorganized and leaderless," he said.

Other candidates?

In fact, there are three other candidates running for president. They are Nikolai Kharitonov of the Communist Party, Leonid Slutsky of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, and Vladislav Davankov, currently deputy speaker of the Russian Duma.

It seems difficult for Kharitonov himself to win. His vote share is not much different from Putin's one-fifth. Mr. Slutsky and Mr. Davabkov themselves are considered pro-Kremlin. "While each candidate juxtaposes ideology and domestic politics, they jointly support President Putin's goal of tightening control over Russia during the next presidential term," said Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think tank writer Callum Fraser.

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