Why the Kremlin fears even the ‘managed opposition’ in Russia

In the weeks leading up to the Duma elections, the Kremlin accelerated what is known in the country as “ballot sterilisation”. It removed the remaining risk factors that could demonstrate any form of public dissatisfaction.Candidates of the so-called managed opposition parties, such as the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF), have been arrested or barred from running, thus diminishing the prospect for a protest vote against the governing United Russia. Last month, Yabloko, the only openly antiwar party, was barred from fielding candidates.In the past, voting for these parties has been encouraged by opposition leaders excluded from running, such as the late Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny, as a form of anti-regime vote.This time the Kremlin is not taking any chances. Public dissatisfaction is widespread and the risk of a display of dissent at the ballot box is too high to let the managed opposition run freely. The election must produce a result that “proves” national unity and full support for President Vladimir Putin and the governing United Russia party.The ‘threat’ of the managed oppositionYabloko is the only surviving officially registered political party in Russia th...