Russia starts early voting on reform extending Putin’s rule

Moscow, June 16

Russia’s far jap area of Kamchatka has kicked off early voting on the constitutional reform that will enable President Vladimir Putin to remain in energy till 2036, with election officers travelling to distant areas and bringing ballots to residents who don’t have entry to polling stations.

Early voting on the reform has been formally allowed since June 10 — 20 days forward of the vote scheduled for July 1 — with many areas beginning the method this week.

Kamchatka election officers travelled to deer herder settlements, distant climate stations and divisions of the nation’s Pacific Fleet on Monday and Tuesday. Footage confirmed officers in hazmat fits travelling by helicopter to a number of distant areas with a small poll field and residents filling out ballots.

Some 60 individuals out of two,000 residents of distant areas have already voted, Inga Irinina, head of Kamchatka’s regional election fee, informed The Associated Press.

This week early voting has additionally kicked off in quite a lot of areas of Russia’s Siberia, the Ural Mountains and the far north of the nation.

After proposing a sweeping constitutional reform earlier this 12 months, Putin insisted on placing it to a nationwide vote though it wasn’t legally required. The plebiscite was initially scheduled for April 22 however was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Rescheduling the vote for July 1 has nonetheless elicited public well being issues as a result of Russia is reporting over 8,000 new virus circumstances each day and stays the third hardest-hit nation on the planet.

The Kremlin has repeatedly dismissed these issues, saying that Russia was in a position to decelerate the epidemic and assuring individuals that every one the required measures will probably be taken to make sure the protection of the voters.

In one measure that aimed to keep away from crowds on voting day, polling stations will open every week forward of the vote, on June 25 via to June 30. Kremlin critics worry the transfer will hinder impartial monitoring of the election. AP