Sham elections in occupied Ukraine: A facade of democracy under watchful eyes
Although the official presidential elections in Russia are set for 15 to 17 March, voting has already started in the occupied territories of Ukraine. The British Ministry of Defence has stated that polling stations are operating, among other places, in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.
Russian elections, however, have nothing to do with democracy. People are being forced to participate in a superficial vote. A mock choice (Vladimir Putin will win anyway) is made under the watchful eye of armed soldiers.
All because the Kremlin fears attacks on polling stations by Ukrainians and opponents of Putin.
Proof of this is a video posted on Twitter. It shows a woman being forced to vote. The stressed elderly woman is unable to protect herself from the watchful eye of the soldier observing her.
When there's an armed soldier standing next to you, of course, there's motivation to vote the right way, that is for Putin. And then they'll praise those Russians, while cursing them all behind their backs," wrote a netizen who posted the video.
Netizens bluntly ask: what's the point of this farce?
Commenting netizens wonder why Vladimir Putin and his Kremlin entourage are organizing presidential elections when the outcomes are already clear. According to some, the sham voting is a "farce".
"Why are they playing this farce with democracy, when every Russian knows that the winner of these elections was determined before the elections were even announced? They might as well appoint the man Ape as the tsar and stop making fools of themselves," asks one of the commentators.
