Russian presidential election, 2000
Encyclopedia
Russian presidential elections were held on 26 March 2000. Incumbent Prime Minister, and acting President Vladimir Putin
, who had succeeded Boris Yeltsin
on his resignation December 31, 1999, was seeking a four-year term in his own right and won the elections in the first round. Polling stations were opened from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
, Gennady Zyuganov
, Grigory Yavlinsky, Amangeldy Tuleyev
, Vladimir Zhirinovsky
, Konstantin Titov
, Ella Pamfilova
, Stanislav Govorukhin
, Yury Skuratov
, Alexander Podberyozkin, and Umar Dzhabrailov
.
was perceived as controversial by many observers due to the military campaign
and security concerns. The legislative elections
on December 19, 1999 had been suspended in Chechnya for these reasons.
It is also notable that the number of registered voters had increased dramatically
since the legislative elections — by 1,298,087.
observers delegation concluded that "the unequal access to television was one of the main reasons for a degree of unfairness of the campaign" and that "independent media have come under increasing pressure and that media in general, be they State-owned or private, failed to a large extent to provide impartial information about the election campaign and candidates."
The PACE delegation also reported that the media got more and more dominated by politically influential owners. The TV channel ORT
launched a slanderous campaign against Yavlinsky's image as his ratings started to rise sharply, and broadcasters generally nearly ignored candidates who did not fulfil interests of their owners. One of the main independent broadcasters, NTV
, was subject to increasing financial and administrative pressure during the electoral campaign.
Putin's campaign press service announced that he decided not to use the free radio and television time provided to all candidates and not to take part in TV debates. A number of other candidates explained this as a refusal to clarify his position on various controversial issues. However, during the campaign Putin excessively often appeared on TV screens as a newsmaker.
There were also many allegedly serious forgeries reported that could affect Putin's victory in the first round.
- 85.42 %, his lowest achievement was in neighbouring Chechnya
– 29.65%, Zyuganov’s results ranged from 47.41% in the Lipetsk region
to 4.63% in Ingushetia, Yavlinsky’s results ranged from 18.56% in Moscow
to 0.42% in Dagestan
, Zhirinovsky’s results ranged from 6.13% in the Kamchatka region
to 0.29% in Ingushetia.
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
, who had succeeded Boris Yeltsin
Boris Yeltsin
Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999.Originally a supporter of Mikhail Gorbachev, Yeltsin emerged under the perestroika reforms as one of Gorbachev's most powerful political opponents. On 29 May 1990 he was elected the chairman of...
on his resignation December 31, 1999, was seeking a four-year term in his own right and won the elections in the first round. Polling stations were opened from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Candidates
A total of 33 candidates were nominated, 15 submitted the application forms to the Central Electoral Committee, and ultimately 12 candidates were registered. One of them withdrew shortly before the deadline, so 11 candidates took part in the elections: Vladimir PutinVladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
, Gennady Zyuganov
Gennady Zyuganov
Gennady Andreyevich Zyuganov is a Russian politician, First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation , Chairman of the Union of Communist Parties - Communist Party of the Soviet Union , deputy of the State Duma , and a member of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe...
, Grigory Yavlinsky, Amangeldy Tuleyev
Aman Tuleyev
Aman Gumirovich Tuleyev , born 13 May 1944, is the governor of Kemerovo Oblast. He ran for President of Russia in 1991, 1996 and 2000, both times coming fourth....
, Vladimir Zhirinovsky
Vladimir Zhirinovsky
Vladimir Volfovich Zhirinovsky is a Russian politician, colonel of the Russian Army, founder and the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia , Vice-Chairman of the State Duma, and a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe....
, Konstantin Titov
Konstantin Titov
Konstantin Alekseyevich Titov was the governor of the Samara Region, Russian Federation from 1991 till 2007.-Notes:...
, Ella Pamfilova
Ella Pamfilova
Ella Pamfilova is a Russian politician, former deputy of the State Duma, candidate for President in 2000 and former chairman of the Civil Society Institution and Human Rights Council of the Russian Federation.-Biography:...
, Stanislav Govorukhin
Stanislav Govorukhin
Stanislav Sergeyevich Govorukhin has been one of the most popular Soviet and Russian film directors since the 1960s...
, Yury Skuratov
Yury Skuratov
Yury Ilyich Skuratov is a Russian lawyer and politician.From 1995 till 1999 he was Prosecutor General of Russia.In February 1999, he disclosed the existence of FIMACO....
, Alexander Podberyozkin, and Umar Dzhabrailov
Umar Dzhabrailov
Umar Aliyevich Dzhabrailov — Russian statesman; is the current volunteer Advisor’s to the President Sergei Prikhodko Assistant, vice president of the Artists Union of Russia, philanthropist, connoisseur of modern art.The representative of the Federation Council of Russia from the executive body...
.
Electorate
The decision to conduct the presidential elections also in ChechnyaChechnya
The Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...
was perceived as controversial by many observers due to the military campaign
Second Chechen War
The Second Chechen War, in a later phase better known as the War in the North Caucasus, was launched by the Russian Federation starting 26 August 1999, in response to the Invasion of Dagestan by the Islamic International Peacekeeping Brigade ....
and security concerns. The legislative elections
Russian legislative election, 1999
Legislative elections were held in the Russian Federation on 19 December 1999. At stake were the 450 seats in the State Duma , the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia...
on December 19, 1999 had been suspended in Chechnya for these reasons.
It is also notable that the number of registered voters had increased dramatically
Demographics of Russia
The demographics of Russia is about the demographic features of the population of the Russian Federation, including population growth, population density, ethnic composition, education level, health, economic status, and other aspects of the population....
since the legislative elections — by 1,298,087.
International Observers
The PACEParliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe , which held its first session in Strasbourg on 10 August 1949, can be considered the oldest international parliamentary assembly with a pluralistic composition of democratically elected members of parliament established on the basis of an...
observers delegation concluded that "the unequal access to television was one of the main reasons for a degree of unfairness of the campaign" and that "independent media have come under increasing pressure and that media in general, be they State-owned or private, failed to a large extent to provide impartial information about the election campaign and candidates."
The PACE delegation also reported that the media got more and more dominated by politically influential owners. The TV channel ORT
Channel One (Russia)
Channel One is the first television channel to broadcast in the Soviet Union. The channel was renamed Ostankino Channel 1 in 1991, after the Soviet Union broke up and the Russian SFSR became the Russian Federation. According to a recent government publication, the Russian government controls 51%...
launched a slanderous campaign against Yavlinsky's image as his ratings started to rise sharply, and broadcasters generally nearly ignored candidates who did not fulfil interests of their owners. One of the main independent broadcasters, NTV
NTV Russia
NTV is a Russian television channel. As a subsidiary of Vladimir Gusinsky's company Media-Most, it was a pioneer in the post-Soviet independent television media, but was later taken over by state-owned Gazprom.- History :...
, was subject to increasing financial and administrative pressure during the electoral campaign.
Putin's campaign press service announced that he decided not to use the free radio and television time provided to all candidates and not to take part in TV debates. A number of other candidates explained this as a refusal to clarify his position on various controversial issues. However, during the campaign Putin excessively often appeared on TV screens as a newsmaker.
There were also many allegedly serious forgeries reported that could affect Putin's victory in the first round.
National summary
Putin’s highest official result was in IngushetiaIngushetia
The Republic of Ingushetia is a federal subject of Russia , located in the North Caucasus region with its capital at Magas. In terms of area, the republic is the smallest of Russia's federal subjects except for the two federal cities, Moscow and Saint Petersburg...
- 85.42 %, his lowest achievement was in neighbouring Chechnya
Chechnya
The Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...
– 29.65%, Zyuganov’s results ranged from 47.41% in the Lipetsk region
Lipetsk Oblast
Lipetsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia which was formed on January 6, 1954. Its administrative center is the city of Lipetsk...
to 4.63% in Ingushetia, Yavlinsky’s results ranged from 18.56% in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
to 0.42% in Dagestan
Dagestan
The Republic of Dagestan is a federal subject of Russia, located in the North Caucasus region. Its capital and the largest city is Makhachkala, located at the center of Dagestan on the Caspian Sea...
, Zhirinovsky’s results ranged from 6.13% in the Kamchatka region
Kamchatka Oblast
Kamchatka Oblast was, until being incorporated into Kamchatka Krai on July 1, 2007, a federal subject of Russia . To the north, it bordered Magadan Oblast and Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. Koryak Autonomous Okrug was located in the northern part of the oblast...
to 0.29% in Ingushetia.
External links
- Official results (in Russian)
- Results in English
- Hesli, Vicki L. & William M. Reisinger (2003). The 1999-2000 Elections in Russia: Their Impact and Legacy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521816769
-
- reviewed by Luke March in: Slavic ReviewSlavic ReviewSlavic Review is a leading international peer-reviewed academic journal publishing scholarly studies and book reviews in all disciplines concerned with Russia, Central Eurasia, and Eastern and Central Europe...
63.4 (Winter 2004), 897-898.- OSCE final report on the presidential election in the Russian Federation, 26 March 2000
- Ad hoc Committee to observe the Russian presidential election (26 March 2000) PACEParliamentary Assembly of the Council of EuropeThe Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe , which held its first session in Strasbourg on 10 August 1949, can be considered the oldest international parliamentary assembly with a pluralistic composition of democratically elected members of parliament established on the basis of an...
Report. April 3, 2000. - Electoral Geography. Russia, Presidential Elections, 2000.
- The Operation "Successor" by Vladimir PribylovskyVladimir PribylovskyVladimir Valerianovich Pribylovsky is a Russian historian, journalist and human rights advocate opposed to current Russian authorities.-Biography:...
and Yuriy Felshtinsky (in Russian).
- reviewed by Luke March in: Slavic Review