Zelensky leads world condemnation of Putin's crushing victory in sham Russian Presidential election: Kyiv says despot is 'sick from power and wants to rule forever' as exit polls say he's got 88% of vote (after rivals were exiled, jailed or killed)
Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, has taken a leading role in condemning Vladimir Putin's overwhelming victory in Russia's recent sham Presidential election. Zelensky expressed his strong disapproval of the 71-year-old tyrant, stating that Putin is "sick for power and is doing everything to rule forever."
Joining the chorus of international politicians, Britain's Foreign Secretary David Cameron criticized the election, stating that it did not resemble a "free and fair" process. A national security spokesman from the White House echoed these sentiments, highlighting Putin's imprisonment of political opponents and his prevention of others from running against him.
The Russian Public Opinion Research Centre's exit polls revealed that Putin secured a staggering 88% of the vote, effectively guaranteeing another six-year term as president. However, this victory comes after the elimination of serious opponents through means such as exile, imprisonment, and even murder. Only three token candidates, none of whom opposed Putin's actions in Ukraine, were allowed to run against him in the election.
Prior to the announcement of the exit polls, protests against Putin took place in Russia, resulting in the arrest of more than 60 individuals. If Putin completes his next term, his rule will extend for a total of 30 years, surpassing the 29-year brutal reign of Josef Stalin.
The election itself has been widely criticized for its lack of fairness and transparency, occurring amidst a severe crackdown on political opposition and freedom of speech in Russia. Zelensky described the Russian presidential election as an illegitimate imitation, stating that Putin should be put on trial in The Hague. The German Foreign Ministry also condemned the election, highlighting Putin's reliance on censorship, repression, and violence.
Several countries, including Poland and Belarus, refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of the election. Poland's foreign ministry declared it "not legal," emphasizing the harsh repressions that occurred during the voting process. Belarus, led by dictator Alexander Lukashenko, was the first foreign country to congratulate Putin on his victory, claiming that international observers found no irregularities.
In the United Kingdom, Russian citizens queued outside the Russian Embassy in London to cast their votes. Some individuals chose to spoil their ballot papers in protest, while others voted for one of the three candidates standing against Putin. In solidarity with late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in prison, some voters wrote his name on their ballots. Demonstrations against Putin took place in various countries, including Germany and France, where protesters voiced their criticisms and called out Putin's actions.
The "Noon against Putin" movement emerged as a significant avenue for protest within Russia. Navalny's allies shared videos on YouTube showing people queuing at polling stations across the country at noon, peacefully protesting against Putin's regime. The Kremlin, however, portrays Navalny's political allies as dangerous extremists aiming to destabilize Russia with Western support, asserting that Putin enjoys overwhelming support among ordinary Russians.
The scattered nature of protest voters, spread across Russia's vast landmass and 11 time zones, makes it challenging to estimate the overall turnout for the demonstrations. Independent election monitoring group OVD-Info reported at least 65 detentions across 16 cities in Russia during the protests.
As international condemnation continues to pour in, it is evident that Putin's victory in the sham election has been met with widespread skepticism and criticism from leaders and citizens alike.
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