Russia’s last parliamentary election (December 2011) sent tens of thousands of protesters into the streets calling for “Russia without Putin,” in outrage over the flagrant election fraud on the part of Putin’s United Russia (dubbed the “party of crooks and thieves”). The demonstrations shook Putin, who responded by cracking down hard on dissent. Deputies of suspect loyalty were purged from the Duma (the Russian parliament); ordinary demonstrators were given jail terms; and protest leaders were convicted of fictional crimes by kangaroo courts, the result being that the Duma has served for five years as a rubber stamp for President Putin. Among the three other parties, not one has been willing to act as an opposition party.
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