ALBAWABA - Amid the upcoming presidential elections in the Russian Federation, EU Council President Charles Michel has caused controversy with his sardonic congratulations to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
EU Council President Charles Michel made a comment on the Russian presidential elections that are starting today in a statement released from his official account.
Michel used the phrase "No opposition" to express his wish to congratulate Vladimir Putin on his "overwhelming victory". No liberty. Not holding an election."
On March 17, Russia's presidential elections are expected to come to an end.
The center of attention is on whether current Russian President Vladimir Putin will win a second term in office as the three-day presidential election gets underway. Putin is predicted to win with over 112 million Russians expected to cast ballots.
Moscow's authorities have warned against possible protests throughout the election period, especially in light of the opposition's Sunday calls for anti-Putin demonstrations. The voting process includes areas like Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Herson, and Zaporizhia that are not part of Russia.
Three other people are running for president in addition to Putin, although the opposition's involvement is still the main focus. The "Noon Against Putin" campaign was started by opposition leaders who are in exile, and it encourages people to show their disapproval by casting ballots.
The calls for opposition mobilization have increased with the untimely death of well-known opposition icon Alexei Navalny in an Arctic prison. Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Navalny, has urged opposition parties to mobilize voters and send a symbolic message to Putin by casting ballots.
The candidate who receives more than 50% of the vote will win the election. Putin has been in power for 24 years, and it is expected that he will get a further six-year term, which may see him hold office until 2030. Should Putin succeed, it would cemented his position as Russia's longest-serving head of state since the eighteenth-century Catherine the Great.
