Amidst reports of election tampering by international monitors and Russians via social media sites, Vladimir Putin’s party, United Russia, just barely carried 50 percent of the votes. United Russia will now hold 238 seats in the Duma, down from 315. An exit poll also revealed that Putin’s approval rating shrank from 64 percent in 2007 to 48.5 percent.
Ellen Barry, Moscow bureau chief for our partner The New York Times, speaks about what these numbers say about Russia’s economy, and what it means for Putin’s upcoming presidential campaign.
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