Should Russia redo its parliamentary election?

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, seen in Berlin in November, is calling for new Russian elections. (Markus Schreiber/Associated Press) Ex-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev is calling for a redo of Russia's parliamentary election after widespread criticism that its vote Sunday was rigged and corrupt.

United Russia, the party of President Vladimir Putin, won less than 50 per cent of the vote in Sunday's election, a loss of more than 14 percentage points from the last vote in 2007. Gorbachev said the results should be annulled.

Videos on YouTube claim to show election commissioners filling out stacks of ballots, and ballot booths that use erasable markers. The videos' accuracy has not been verified.

Thousands of Russians rallied in Moscow and St. Petersburg to protest the election results. They were met by thousands of Russian security forces, who detained hundreds of the protesters, including some journalists.

Despite the low numbers, Putin nevertheless regained the presidency after a three-year stint as prime minister. The rising unrest suggests this four-year term won't be as smooth as his last ones in 2000 and 2004.

Gorbachev served as the head of the Soviet Union from 1985 until its dissolution in 1991.

Should Russia redo its parliamentary election? Why or why not? What would ensure a different result from this week's election? Let us know in the comments section below.


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