Legislative elections were held in the Russian Federation on December 7, 2003. At stake were 450 seats in the State Council (Gosudarstvennaya Duma), the lower house of the Russian legislature.

As expected, the United Russia party of President Vladimir Putin won the largest number of votes and seats, reducing all other parties to minor status. Even the formal figure of 221 seats for United Russia is an underestimate, because most of the minor party and "independent" members are in fact clients or supporters of President Putin. The elections have thus given Putin complete control of the legislature.

Of the other parties, the Communist Party is still the largest, though much reduced in strength. The extreme right-wing Liberal Democratic Party improved its position. The liberal Yabloko party lost most of its seats. The only other significant party is the Homeland Union, a loose alliance of regional groupings.

National summary of votes and seats

These figures are from the Russian Election Commission and appear to be final.

 Registered voters: 108,404,870 Valid votes cast: 59,297,970 54.7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ List List District Total Party Votes % Seats Seats Seats ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Agrarian Party 2,201,806 03.7 - 3 3 Communist Party 7,622,568 12.8 40 11 51 Homeland Union 5,443,053 09.2 29 8 37 Liberal Democratic Party 6,923,444 11.7 37 - 37 People's Party 707,434 01.2 - 16 16 Rebirth of Russia 1,137,193 01.9 - 3 3 Russian Penioners' Party 1,869,729 03.1 - 1 1 Union of Right Forces 2,390,868 04.0 - 3 3 United Russia 22,529,459 38.0 119 102 221 Yabloko 2,601,549 04.4 - 4 4 Others 3,027,021 05.1 - 74 74 Against all 2,843,846 04.8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 59,297,970 225 225 450 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

United Russia has absorbed the parties known as Inter-Regional Movement Unity, or Medved, which won 72 seats at the 1999 elections, and Fatherland All Russia, which won 68 seats.

Alternate Results

Voted 60 712 299 = 55.75% turnout. Source: official results announced on 19 Dec 2003.

Voting for party

1. 37,57% (120 seats) United Russia
2. 12,61 (40) Communist Party of the Russian Federation
3. 11,45% (36) Liberal Democratic Party of Russia
4. 9,02% (29) Rodina Bloc

• -- 5% threshold --
• 4,7% against all
• 4,3% Yabloko
• 3,97% Union of Right Forces
• 3,7% Agrarian Party of Russia
• 3,1% Party of Russian Pensioners
• total list includes many more

Total seats

• 222 United Russia
• 53 Communist Party
• 38 Liberal-Democrats
• 37 Rodina Bloc
• 19 People's Party
• 81 other parties or independent (including 3 vacant to be elected again on 14 Mar 2004)
• == 450 total ==

External Links

• http://www.fci.ru
• http://www.fairgame.ru Alternative count