Despite last week’s election results, the Russian opposition does not feel defeated – and the authorities are in no hurry to celebrate their triumph, at least in Moscow.
Indeed, all 15 seats in the Russian capital were won by pro-government candidates promoted on a party list by Moscow mayor Sergey Sobyanin.
But three factors – the now scandalous electronic voting system used in Moscow; the Smart Voting tactical voting scheme designed to support single opposition candidates against United Russia candidates; and Russia’s Communist Party – now determine the opposition’s prospects in future elections, and perhaps the country’s political future itself.
