Putin issues election call to Russians
The results of the upcoming Russian presidential election will “shape the country’s development for years to come,” Vladimir Putin has said as he urged citizens to vote in a video address released on Thursday.
Putin is seeking a fifth term in office and is running as an independent candidate in this year’s vote, which is being held on March 15-17.
“It is necessary to reaffirm our unity and determination to move forward together. Each vote is valuable and significant,” Putin stated. The only source of power in the country is the people, as enshrined in the Russian Constitution, the incumbent president added.
Describing the election as “a step into the future,” Putin urged Russians “not just to cast a vote, but firmly declare their will and aspirations, their personal involvement in the further development of Russia.”
He noted that it will be Russia’s eighth presidential vote, meaning the nation is honoring “the inviolability of one of the basic principles of a democratic state, the regularity of elections.”
Putin also acknowledged that Russia is going through a “difficult period” and is facing challenges “in almost all areas” due to Western sanctions imposed over the Ukraine conflict.
“And in order to continue to respond to [these challenges], to successfully overcome difficulties, we need to continue to be united and self-confident,” he stressed. Russians have specific views on the type of country they want to build, meaning “today it is critically important not to deviate from the chosen path, to achieve what is planned,” Putin added.
The 2024 presidential election starts on Friday and will run through March 17 – the first time it will be held over multiple days. Putin announced plans to seek another term in office last December, and is running against three opponents: Communist Party candidate Nikolay Kharitonov, Vladislav Davankov of the New People party, and Leonid Slutsky of the Liberal Democrats.
According to a survey from the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTSIOM) released earlier this week, Putin is expected to win 82% of the vote.
