United Russia party leading in Russian regional elections
The ruling United Russia party is widely leading in Sunday’s Russian regional elections according to preliminary results from the Central Election Commission. In Murmansk Oblast, two of the three available posts as mayor were won by independent candidates.
Millions of Russians voted on Sunday in regional elections throughout the country seen as a popularity test for United Russia amid rising unemployment and housing and utilities prices. Elections to local authorities were held in 76 out of 83 Russian regions. Eight regions also held elections to regional legislatures.
Head of United Russia’s high council and Speaker in the Russian State Duma Boris Gryzlov said to RIA Novosti on Sunday that the party recieved more votes this time compared to the last elections:
-We will probably have two thirds of the votes in half of the regions and more than 50 percent in the rest.
In Murmansk Oblast three towns and districts held elections for the post of Mayor – the towns of Polyanye Zori and Zaozersk and Pechenga district. Two of the seats were won by independent candidates and one seat by United Russia’s candidate. Several other towns and villages elected candidates to local councils.
In Polyarnye Zori United Russia’s candidate Nikolay Goldobin was elected Mayor with 56.4 percent of the votes, according to Khibiny.ru.
In the closed military town of Zaozersk Mikhail Marin was elected Mayor with 71.9 percent of the votes. He is an independent candidate.
In the district of Pechenga, on the border to Norway, Nadezhda Shelkovnikova was elected Mayor with 51.9 percent of the votes, Khibiny.ru reports. She is an independent candidate.
