MOSCOW: Demonstrators gather during a rally against results of the recent parliamentary elections at the Pushkin Square on Saturday.—AP
MOSCOW: Demonstrators gather during a rally against results of the recent parliamentary elections at the Pushkin Square on Saturday.—AP

MOSCOW: Russia’s Com­munist Party on Saturday led a well-attended protest in central Moscow over what they called “colossal” fraud in parliamentary polls as police detained a number of activists.

It was the first sizable Moscow protest since this month’s controversial polls, and police did not break up the unsanctioned rally but played loud music in an effort to drown out the protesters.

Before and during the pro­test, authorities deta­ined a number of activists including Sergei Udaltsov, head of a radical socialist group, Left Front, according to OVD-Info, which tracks det­entions at opposition rallies.

In his residence outside Moscow, President Vladimir Putin hailed the ruling party’s “convincing victory” and said Russian democracy was growing stronger as he hosted the heads of five parties which won parliamentary seats including Commu­nist leader Gennady Zyuganov.

Putin’s opponents have accused the authorities of mass fraud after results showed the deeply unpopular ruling United Russia party winning a sweeping majority in parliament at legislative polls.

The three-day vote took place following a historic crackdown on the opposition, with authorities imprisoning Putin’s most vocal critic Alexei Navalny and formally outlawing his organisations.

Thirty years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, many Russians in Moscow and elsewhere backed the Communists as a form of protest voting, some for the first time.

More than a thousand protesters packed Pushkin Square on Saturday as Com­munist figures decried what they called a stolen election, a correspondent said.

The crowd chanted “Putin is a thief!” and called for the release of political prisoners.

Some protesters carried signs demanding a recount, others expressed support for Navalny.

Some protesters at the rally said they did not support Communism as a political ideology but showed up at the protest anyway to express their anger over electoral fraud.

“Not only members of the Communist Party are here,” Deniza Lisova, 26, said. “Eve­ryone is here, and we all supported the Commu­nist Party during the election.” Members of the Com­m­u­nist Party took particular issue with electronic voting results in Moscow.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2021

Opinion

Editorial

Military option
Updated 21 Nov, 2024

Military option

While restoring peace is essential, addressing Balochistan’s socioeconomic deprivation is equally important.
HIV/AIDS disaster
21 Nov, 2024

HIV/AIDS disaster

A TORTUROUS sense of déjà vu is attached to the latest health fiasco at Multan’s Nishtar Hospital. The largest...
Dubious pardon
21 Nov, 2024

Dubious pardon

IT is disturbing how a crime as grave as custodial death has culminated in an out-of-court ‘settlement’. The...
Islamabad protest
Updated 20 Nov, 2024

Islamabad protest

As Nov 24 draws nearer, both the PTI and the Islamabad administration must remain wary and keep within the limits of reason and the law.
PIA uncertainty
20 Nov, 2024

PIA uncertainty

THE failed attempt to privatise the national flag carrier late last month has led to a fierce debate around the...
T20 disappointment
20 Nov, 2024

T20 disappointment

AFTER experiencing the historic high of the One-day International series triumph against Australia, Pakistan came...