The landslide victory of the United Russia party in Russian parliamentary elections is likely to boost further President Vladimir Putin’s control over power. United Russia, Putin’s party, has won over 63 per cent of the vote. The Communists with around 12 per cent of the vote are in second place. United Russia is likely to have a two-thirds majority in the Duma. Fair Russia and the Liberal Democratic Party, the only other parties besides the communists to cross the 7 per cent vote share required to enter parliament, are allies of United Russia. Besides, votes cast for parties that failed to make it into the Duma will be distributed proportionally among the winning parties. This is likely to add to United Russia’s tally in the Duma.

While President Putin himself did not contest the election, this vote was projected by the Kremlin as a referendum on his eight years as President. United Russia’s election campaign promised that a big win for the party would pave the way for Mr Putin to remain at the helm in Russia. This election was all about Putin’s future as Russia’s leader. Under the constitution, Mr Putin is obliged to stand down after his second term as President ends in March next year. He is constitutionally forbidden from running for a third consecutive term. But Mr Putin is anxious to hold on to power. United Russia’s massive win will be used by the party to push for constitutional change to allow for Mr Putin to run for a third term. Or his party might make him the “national leader” although the present constitution makes no provision for such a position. There are reports that he will install a token President for a few months and then return to Kremlin for another term as President.

There is no doubt that Mr Putin is popular in Russia. He has done a great deal to reassert Russia’s position on the global stage and the health of the Russian economy has improved over the past eight years. Still, allegations of electoral manipulations have dogged the elections and these raise questions regarding the “massive mandate” United Russia received. The party cannot interpret its electoral win to mean a mandate to tinker with the constitution as it chooses. It would be a pity if Mr Putin were to sully his contribution to re-building Russia by moving the country towards a dictatorship of sorts.