Putin's opponents took a stand despite unfair election: exiled Russian politician
Dmitry Gudkov says it's impossible to defeat Putin by voting, so critics protested at the polls
When Dmitry Gudkov visited a Russian polling station in Bulgaria on Sunday, he wasn't there to vote.
Instead, the exiled Russian politician says he took part in a worldwide protest against President Vladimir Putin and spoiled his ballot, writing in the name of late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, alongside the words "Putin is a war criminal."
Gudkov is one of thousands of Russians who silently protested at polling stations inside Russia and abroad at noon on Sunday. The demonstrations were inspired by Navalny, who died in a Russian prison last month.
Putin, who faced no serious challengers in the election, won a landslide victory with 87.28 per cent of the vote and a record turnout of 77.44 per cent, according to the Central Election Commission.
The U.S., the U.K. and Germany say the election was neither free nor fair, citing the censorship and imprisonment of Putin's political opponents. Independent election watchdog Golos — which Russia has branded a "foreign agent" — accused Russia of removing "undesirable" observers from polling stations.
Putin dismissed the criticisms and protests on Monday, and Russia's electoral commission says the vote took place under proper scrutiny.
Gudkov, a former opposition lawmaker in Russia's lower house, fled the country in 2021 after he was briefly detained on what he called trumped-up accusations about unpaid debts. Russian courts later issued an arrest warrant for Gudkov in absentia over his criticism of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Here is part of his conversation with As It Happens host Nil Köksal.
We know across Russia yesterday, thousands of people did respond to the opposition call to stand silently in line at polling stations to protest this election in Russia. Obviously, that did not make a difference in the outcome. They expected that, I'm sure. But what did you think about what you saw, that kind of protest?
Not thousands, but I think that a million [people took part] in different cities, including the Russian cities, and different countries where people went to the polling stations and the embassies and consulates' offices.
As far as [we] know, all the Russian elections are falsified, and there is no opportunity to influence the results.
So that's why we decided to organize these actions against Putin in order to let ... people be visible, to demonstrate the protest against Putin policy and against the war.
I think that we really succeeded in that, because we saw a lot of people lining up in the big queues ... in different cities, in different countries, standing against ... Vladimir Putin. And, today, I think that we managed to delegitimize … his official result.
I think that the 87 per cent [of votes for Putin], it looks like the Northern Korean result. And I think that the people who organized these elections — the Russian elites, the law enforcement and security services — that they know the real result, and they know that the elections and the results have been cooked.
After all of these years that Putin has been in power, is there any mechanism or way for Russians who disagree with Putin to actually make political change?
When the elites ... are united, there is no chance for the civil society to go against Putin, because it's very dangerous. For example, you can face the jail term up to 15 or even sometimes 25 years in jail, like it happened with [Russian journalist] Vladimir Kara-Murza.
But I think that this situation will result in the split of elites, because 90 per cent of the Russian elites, they are not happy with what is going on. The they're not happy with Putin's policy. They don't support the war.
Why? What are they unhappy about?
They don't want Russia to be isolated. They didn't expect that Putin would wage the war against Ukraine, because … they kept their money abroad, they sent their children to study to Europe, to the United States. And now they've lost ... these opportunities.
But, unfortunately, while Putin is strong, they're unlikely to dare to go against him. But after these elections, when they find out that Putin is not supported by the majority of Russian citizens, that the results of the election have been cooked, maybe something will change.
In a dictatorship, of course, the power is not changed through elections. But, usually it can be toppled, only after the split of elites.
What do you think this election result will mean for the war in Ukraine?
Unfortunately, I predict [a] wave of repression against Russian people…. But I think that new wave of mobilization will create new challenges for Putin.
You had to flee Russia. Does this election result make the idea of returning to your country feel further away? Or do you feel hopeful?
I'm on the wanted list, so there is no way to come back to Russia right now. It will be just the one-way road to the prison — not only for me, but for many Russians.
In case of some changes — in case of the split of elites, some mass protests — if it happens, for example, in the future, I think that many people, many politicians, many public figures [and] journalists, will try to come back, of course, to Russia and to fight for changes.
With files from Reuters and The Associated Press. Interview produced by Chris Harbord. Q&A edited for length and clarity
