President Vladimir Putin has signed off on a law that brings next year’s Russian parliamentary elections forward by three months, a move some commentators said gives an unfair advantage to pro-Kremlin parties. “The election of the seventh convocation of State Duma deputies will take place on the third Sunday of September 2016,” the Kremlin said in a statement on Wednesday. Parliamentary elections were initially scheduled to take place in December 2016. Supporters of the initiative, including State Duma speaker Sergei Naryshkin, have said an early election would ensure continuity between the adoption and implementation of the 2017 budget. Critics of the move have argued it is unconstitutional and unfairly plays into the hands of the Kremlin.
Many analysts point to mounting economic troubles, saying pro-Putin parties will likely show better results after a modest campaign over the summer when many Russians are on vacation.
Some even called the move a trial balloon to see if Russians would support bringing forward presidential polls, which would further extend Putin’s grip on power.
Full Article: Russia brings forward parliamentary elections – Yahoo News.