Russia's Sham Elections: A Farce in Full Color The latest parliamentary elections in Russia have been touted as a grand democratic spectacle, but scratch beneath the surface and you'll find a farce orchestrated by President Vladimir Putin's regime to maintain its grip on power.
The outcome of these elections has been all but assured since before the first ballots were cast, with the Kremlin aligned United Russia party expected to retain its supermajority in the State Duma.
The reasons for this inevitability are rooted in years of tactics employed by Putin's government to suppress opposition and ensure a predetermined outcome.