Russia: Putin’s Loyalists Dominate Vote

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/16/world/europe/russia-putins-loyalists-dominate-vote.html

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Candidates loyal to President Vladimir V. Putin won elections for governor in all 30 regions that held elections on Sunday, as balloting reflected the Kremlin’s total domination of political opponents and its iron grip on the country’s political system. Candidates from United Russia, the party that endorsed Mr. Putin for president in 2012, won 28 of the races. The winners of the remaining two races, in the Orel and Kirov regions, were allies of Mr. Putin but not members of the party. In Crimea, which Russia invaded and annexed this year, United Russia won overwhelming majorities in voting for the regional Parliament and for the Legislative Assembly in Sevastopol, the special military district that is home to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. United Russia also won large majorities in the parliaments of 13 other regions.