1999 Russian legislative election

1999 Russian legislative election
Пресс-служба Государственной Думы Российской Федерации · CC BY 4.0 · source
Country	Russia
Type	legislative
Previous election	1995 Russian legislative election
Previous year	1995
Next election	2003 Russian legislative election
Next year	2003
Seats for election	All 450 seats in the State Duma
Majority seats	226
Election date	19 December 1999
Turnout	61.7%
Leader1	Vladimir Putin
Party1	Unity (Russia)
Leaders seat1	Did not run
Last election1	New party
Seats1	73
Seat change1	New
Popular vote1	15,549,182
Percentage1	23.3%
Leader2	Gennady Zyuganov
Party2	Communist Party of the Russian Federation
Leaders seat2	Tambov Oblast
Last election2	157 seats, 22.3%
Seats2	113
Seat change2	–44
Popular vote2	16,195,569
Percentage2	24.3%
Leader3	Vladimir Zhirinovsky
Party3	Liberal Democratic Party of Russia
Leaders seat3	Karachay-Cherkessia
Last election3	51 seats, 11.2%
Seats3	17
Seat change3	–34
Popular vote3	3,990,038
Percentage3	6.0%
Image4	100px
Leader4	Grigory Yavlinsky
Party4	Yabloko
Leaders seat4	Moscow
Last election4	45 seats, 6.9%
Seats4	21
Seat change4	–24
Popular vote4	3,955,457
Percentage4	5.9%
Title	Prime Minister
Before election	Vladimir Putin
Before party	Independent (politician)
After election	Mikhail Kasyanov
After party	Independent (politician)

1999 Russian legislative election were held on 19 December 1999 for all 450 seats of the State Duma, the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia. The election occurred amidst a severe political and economic crisis, following the 1998 Russian financial crisis and during the Second Chechen War. The results significantly reshaped the political landscape, creating a pro-government majority that strongly supported the new administration of acting President Vladimir Putin.

Background

The political climate was defined by the instability following the resignation of President Boris Yeltsin and the preceding collapse of the government of Sergei Stepashin. The 1998 Russian financial crisis had devastated the national economy, eroding public trust in established parties. Simultaneously, a series of apartment bombings attributed to Chechen militants, and the subsequent launch of the Second Chechen War, created a national security crisis. The Kremlin, seeking to ensure a stable transition of power, heavily promoted the new Unity bloc, which was explicitly formed to support the newly appointed Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

Parties and candidates

Twenty-six electoral blocs and parties were registered for the party-list contest. The main competitors included the incumbent opposition, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation led by Gennady Zyuganov, and the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia under Vladimir Zhirinovsky. The liberal democratic bloc Yabloko, led by Grigory Yavlinsky, also contested. The primary pro-government force was the newly created Unity bloc, endorsed by prominent figures like Sergei Shoigu and Alexander Karelin. Other significant contenders were the Fatherland – All Russia bloc, a coalition of powerful regional leaders including Yury Luzhkov and Yevgeny Primakov, and the Union of Right Forces led by Sergei Kiriyenko and Boris Nemtsov.

Campaign

The campaign was dominated by themes of national security, economic recovery, and political stability. State-controlled media, particularly channels like ORT and RTR, provided overwhelmingly favorable coverage to Unity and negative portrayals of the rival Fatherland – All Russia bloc. The military campaign in Chechnya was a central issue, with Unity and Putin gaining immense popularity from their hardline stance. The campaign of the Union of Right Forces focused on liberal economic reforms, while Yabloko criticized the conduct of the war. Allegations of corruption and media bias were widespread throughout the period.

Results

The Communist Party of the Russian Federation won a plurality of the party-list vote with 24.3%, securing 113 seats. However, the pro-Kremlin Unity bloc achieved a major victory, placing a close second with 23.3% and 73 seats, outperforming all expectations. The Fatherland – All Russia bloc underperformed, winning only 13.3% and 66 seats. The Liberal Democratic Party of Russia and Yabloko narrowly cleared the 5% threshold, gaining 17 and 21 seats respectively. The Union of Right Forces also passed the threshold, winning 29 seats. In the single-member district contests, independent candidates and local party affiliates won a significant number of seats, many of whom later aligned with the pro-government coalition in the State Duma.

Aftermath

The election produced a fractured but manageable State Duma. A swift coalition between Unity, the People's Deputy group, and elements of Fatherland – All Russia created a solid pro-government majority. This new legislature provided crucial support for Vladimir Putin's policies following his victory in the 2000 Russian presidential election. Key early votes included the ratification of the START II treaty and approval of Putin's nominee for Prime Minister, Mikhail Kasyanov. The election marked the decline of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation as the dominant parliamentary force and established a new, Kremlin-aligned party system that would define Russian politics for years.

Category:1999 elections in Russia Category:State Duma elections