The Irkutsk region topped the ranking of the dirtiest elections
The Irkutsk region topped the ranking of the dirtiest election campaigns during the current elections in Russia.
Such data was presented by experts from the Center for Regional Policy Development (CRDP), after analyzing the situation in the regions of the Russian Federation, as a result of which they compiled the TOP-3 “most scandalous” campaigns.
As the director of the CRRP, political scientist Ilya Grashchenkov notes, the three most scandalous campaigns take place in elections at different levels: gubernatorial, city and by-elections to the State Duma. All of them are characterized by the use of “black technologies” and administrative pressure directed against the main opposition candidates, primarily the Communist Party of the Russian Federation.
1st place – Irkutsk Region. The campaign was initially provocative, as a "doppelganger" candidate from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Gennady Shchadov, was nominated to weaken the CPSU candidate, Mikhail Shchapov.
Apparently, the headquarters of the rival communist, acting Irkutsk region Igor Kobzev, were afraid of Shchapov’s too high rating, so by the end of the campaign they launched a real “black PR campaign” against him.
The most provocative were billboards with the image of Shchapov and inscriptions in Chinese. As an explanation for this story, a video was published online in which the Communist Party of the Russian Federation allegedly agreed with China to sell part of Lake Baikal for development.
Such a hoax did not go unnoticed in the PRC, and now Russia may have to explain itself to its colleagues about the manipulation of the “Chinese threat.”
In addition to “dirty” political technologies, Igor Kobzev’s headquarters was noted for the massive use of administrative resources, including in relation to independent media.
2nd place – Ulyanovsk Region. The Ulyanovsk City Council election campaign has been plagued by scandals. First, the spoiler party, Communists of Russia, withdrew some of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) candidates from the race, thereby depriving the party of a majority in the Duma. Many have now been reinstated by the Supreme Court, but their names are not yet on the ballot.
Secondly, a strange movement “Against Everyone” has unfolded in the region, which convinces residents that they are “blacks”, but basically works in the same way against the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. As a result, the representative of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Alexei Kurinny, in order to attract attention to the problem, had to be on duty in the square around the clock, organizing a round-the-clock reception of citizens, since public events are prohibited due to the coronavirus. The culmination of the campaign was a fight in the City Duma between representatives of United Russia and the Communist Party of the Russian Federation.
3rd place – Yaroslavl Region. The by-election to the State Duma in the Yaroslavl single-mandate constituency proved unexpectedly competitive. The main battle unfolded between Olympic hockey champion Andrei Kovalenko, a United Russia member nicknamed "The Russian Tank," and former Yaroslavl Governor Anatoly Lisitsyn, who left United Russia for A Just Russia.
Lisitsyn is supported by some representatives of the regional elites who are dissatisfied with the current governor Mironov.
There are many scandals surrounding Kovalenko’s campaign, his rivals complain that all the airtime is filled with his participation, and his competitors are not allowed to meet with voters because of the coronavirus.
Irkutsk Oblast Tops the Dirtiest Elections Rankings :: Read in English