Allies of Kremlin critic Navalny say communists vote to hurt ruling party

MOSCOW, Sept. 15 (Reuters) – Allies of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny on Wednesday urged Russians to vote for the Communist Party in this week’s parliamentary elections as part of a tactical voting campaign that hurt the ruling party United Russia.

Navalny’s “smart vote” campaign is designed to consolidate the votes of those who oppose United Russia, which currently occupies three-quarters of the seats in the lower house of parliament and dominates Russian political life.

The initiative is one of the few levers left for Navalny, who is serving two-and-a-half years in prison for alleged violations of parole, which he says are overcome.

His movement was described as “extremist” ahead of the Sept. 17-19 vote, and a law signed by President Vladimir Putin in June banned members of those groups from running for office. Read more

“Millions of people in Russia hate United Russia,” Navalny’s ally Leonid Volkov said in a video accompanying a list of candidates Navalny’s allies say they have the best chance of defeating United Russia in different districts electoral.

“Explain to everyone that you are not satisfied with what is happening in the country that has to go to the polls in this election.”

The bulk of the candidates supporting Navalny’s allies come from the Communist Party, Russia’s second most popular party. He currently has 43 legislators in the 450-seat legislature. Navalny’s allies recommended communist candidates in 11 of the capital’s 15 districts.

After Navalny’s allies published their list, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, Putin’s ally, published his own list of recommended candidates for the city.

“I head the list of the United Russia party in Moscow and I ask you to vote for that party,” Sobyanin wrote on his website.

Putin, who has been in power as president or prime minister since 1999, helped found United Russia but is not a member.

In the run-up to the vote, Putin approved higher salaries and one-time payments to military and police personnel. He promised similar measures for pensioners. Read more

Critics of the Kremlin say the measures are designed to increase support for a united Russia. The Kremlin says the support measures have nothing to do with the vote.

Reports by Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber; Edited by Bernadette Baum

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