Economics
Setback for Putin After His Candidate Nearly Loses Election
- Opponent claims fraud after late results eliminate his lead
- Election results show rising discontent over pension reform
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The Kremlin’s hand-picked candidate for governor of a major region in the Far East nearly lost a runoff election Sunday, overcoming his Communist opponent only with a late surge in the vote count that triggered accusations of fraud.
The opponent began a hunger strike and called on supporters to protest. The vote result is a shock for the tightly controlled system even if the ruling party’s candidate is ultimately declared the winner. So far, the Kremlin has managed to defend its political monopoly nationally, despite a wave of popular discontent set off by government plans to raise retirement ages amid a sputtering economy and stagnant incomes.