Russia admitted on Wednesday that some irregularities had taken place in the course of a disputed mayoral election in a southern Russian city last month, after the victory of a pro-Kremlin candidate there set off a wave of anti-government protests. The disputed election in Astrakhan has become a focus for the opposition as it tries to breathe new life into its protest movement which has lost steam since Vladimir Putin was elected president for a six-year term on March 4. Street rallies against alleged electoral fraud and a prolonged hunger strike by a defeated opposition candidate have thrust the events in the otherwise sleepy Caspian city into the heart of Russia’s political fray. On Wednesday, Russia’s top election official Vladimir Churov said there had been some irregularities after all.
“Unfortunately, I have to state that video footage showed some real procedural violations in handling documents after the polling stations’ closure,” Churov told the state Vesti 24 TV channel. “We will look into it very thoroughly.” Churov added however he had seen no evidence of fraud that could overturn the victory of Mikhail Stolyarov, a candidate from a pro-Kremlin party in the Astrakhan vote.
… Oleg Shein, the defeated opposition candidate, began the hunger strike along with his supporters on March 16, saying the vote had been rigged in favour of his rival. He has vowed not to eat until a new vote is held. As the events unfolded, Astrakhan has turned into the latest staging point in the opposition’s new strategy to chip away at Putin’s authority through local polls in the regions.
Full Article: Russia admits irregularities in regional vote after protests – chicagotribune.com.