- Title: Communist leader Zyuganov votes on reforms that could extend Putin's rule
- Date: 1st July 2020
- Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (JULY 1, 2020) (REUTERS) COMMUNIST PARTY LEADER GENNADIY ZYUGANOV APPROACHING BOOTH WITH BALLOT PAPER MAN FILMING ZYUGANOV PUTTING PAPER IN BALLOT BOX WOMAN WATCHING ZYUGANOV TALKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) COMMUNIST PARTY LEADER, GENNADY ZYUGANOV, SAYING: "People should express their opinion on the course (the country has taken) based on their life, conscience and situation. The course has led to pain in all areas of the economy and it continues. If you look closely, people have lost 40 percent of their income in recent times." ZYUGANOV HOLDING PEN (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) COMMUNIST PARTY LEADER, GENNADY ZYUGANOV, SAYING: "Putin needs to choose. For him the moment of truth is coming, a moment of great responsibility. If the course we followed before continues, we've been treading water in many respects for ten years, we're not in the top five (economies by GDP), we're eleventh, at this rate we'll be fifteenth or even worse. So, today's vote is very significant, the people should express their will." VARIOUS EXTERNAL VIEWS OF POLLING STATION WITH SIGN READING (Russian): "POLLING STATION NUMBER 142"
- Embargoed: 15th July 2020 11:48
- Keywords: Communist party Gennady Zyuganov Russian Consitution Russian president Vladimir Putin vote
- Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- City: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001CKZ9YYV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov cast his vote in a polling station in Moscow on Wednesday (July 1), the final day of a vote on constitutional changes that could allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to stay in power until 2036.
The party, which has advised supporters to vote "no", has complained of irregularities.
Zyuganov said that Putin and voters needed to weigh the consequences of sticking to the Russian leader's policies, which he said had failed the economy.
"Putin needs to choose," said Zyuganov. "For him the moment of truth is coming. Today's vote is very significant, the people should express their will," said Zyuganov.
Putin has said he wants a clean vote, something election officials have pledged to deliver.
Golos, a non-governmental organisation that monitors elections, has said it will not be able to confirm the outcome of the vote as legitimate.
Ella Pamfilova, head of Russia's Central Election Commission, said on Wednesday that no serious violations in the voting process had occurred.
The vote was held over seven days to try to limit the spread of the new coronavirus.
(Production: Mikhail Antonov, Peter Scott) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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