Winners look forward while losers look back in anger

The Russian parliamentary election is over. Winners celebrate and lay out their legislative plans for the next four years. Losers lick their wounds and try to work out what went wrong. All debate whether the election was fair or not.

RT’s anchor Al Gurnov was right at the centre of the post-election discussions, speaking to Russian party leaders.

Boris Gryzlov, the United Russia Party

“Speaking of the results and our expectations, I’d like to point out that the researchers who conducted the opinion polls did a very good job. The figures we have at the moment are almost identical to the forecast we had on November 26. So the results don’t come as a surprise.”

“The goal we set for ourselves was to have a majority in the parliament. We’ve achieved this goal and this is the most crucial outcome. Our goal was to have a simple majority. The minimum figure we had in mind was 250 seats, but now it’s obvious that we’ll have more. This means that we will control all the Duma committees and the Duma in general, which will enable us to cooperate efficiently with the Cabinet.”

“The voters realised they had to come out and vote to support Vladimir Putin’s policies. The four years that the fourth State Duma ran for, when United Russia had a parliamentary majority, were very fruitful. We made a significant contribution to our countries welfare. I believe this is what made United Russia so popular with voters,” stated Boris Gryzlov, the leader of the United Russia Party.

Gennady Zyuganov, the Communist Party of Russia

“The results were known from the very beginning. They were programmed well beforehand: 63% for United Russia, 11% for us and 10% for the Liberal Democratic Party to cross the 7% threshold. In the days of Yeltsin there were only two ways to arrange the result – either through intimidation or just putting down the required figure. These days we have twenty-two ways to swindle the public and get the required results.”

“Everything that took place here is just disgusting. There is not a hint of democracy here. The people should be respected and not tricked into swallowing any results. We are a real opposition party and I’d like to thank all our voters for their support.”

“On December 3 and 4 we’ll be holding local protests against this insanity and outrage. We’ll also get hold of all the election protocols and calculate the results for ourselves,” said Gennady Zyuganov, the leader of the Communist Party.

Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia

“We've had a stable result for the fifth time. The best result is in the Far East where some regions have given us 15 to 20 per cent. In some districts we have a decline in our vote, but on the whole we are the only party which to gain its own result without resources from the authorities and large financial injections.”

“This outcome is stable because our party is an old one. It is about 20 years old and our voters support us as they grew up us,” said Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the Liberal Democrats leader.

Grigory Yavlinsky , the Yabloko party

“The Communists, United Russia, the nationalists of Zhirinovskiy and Mironov's Party all form a single party, Putin's party of power.”

“The Communists as much as Putin destroy democracy, quarrel with all their neighbours, threaten everyone with all kinds of weapons, destroy independent courts and media, and introduce political censorship.”

“In other words, the new political configuration will be a one-party system. This will mean the absolute impossibility of having an independent court and media, any critics, political competition or defence of any rights in Russia,” warned Grigory Yavlinsky , the Yabloko party leader.

Vladimir Churov , head of the Central Election Commission

“The parties that did not win will try to say that it was the result of some pressure. Unfortunately this is a typical position. Only four parties managed to pass not just the 7% barrier but also the 3% barrier.”

“According to Russian law, parties that did not achieve 3% of votes must pay for their time on television and on radio and for space in newspapers. Losers want to become victims,” said Vladimir Churov , head of the Central Election Commission.

To read more politicians' comments on the election outcome, please follow the link