Volgograd activists call presidential election a democracy game

The local offices of presidential candidates actually did not work; and the candidates themselves, who visited Volgograd, conducted extremely careful campaigning, without criticizing authorities and without raising sensitive topics, a journalist has noted, also telling about obstacles when visiting polling stations. One of the activists has stated that this year it was impossible to get registered as an election observer.

Vladimir Titov, a member of the regional branch of the "Yabloko" Party, who was an observer at the previous elections, said that the "Golos" (Vote) movement* does not work in the Volgograd Region.

According to Mr Titov, in the Volgograd Region, the election campaign was "sluggish." Along the city highways, only billboards of the LDPR candidate Slutsky and President Putin were visible.

Vyacheslav Lemkus, a journalist, has treated the election campaign in the Volgograd Region as "fictitious." The candidates who visited Volgograd ignored the "sensitive topics" related to the special military operation (SMO) and the deteriorating economic situation.

"There are no independent observers, no journalists, and, moreover, no independent presidential candidates. We are watching a game of democracy," Mr Lemkus has concluded.

*On August 18, 2021, the "Golos" (Vote) all-Russian public movement in defence of voters' rights was included in the new register of unregistered public associations performing the functions of a foreign agent. The movement's website is blocked in Russia.