1999 Russian legislative election

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1999 Russian legislative election
Flag of Russia.svg
  1995 19 December 1999 2003  

All 450 seats in the State Duma
226 seats needed for a majority
Turnout61.85% (Decrease2.svg 2.53 pp)
 First partySecond partyThird party
  Gennady Zyuganov and Govorukhin in 1998 (cropped).jpg
Sergei Shoigu (18-01-2000).jpg
Primakov-Kovalev.jpg
Leader Gennady Zyuganov Sergei Shoigu Yevgeny Primakov
Party CPRF Unity OVR
Leader since14 February 19933 October 199921 August 1999
Leader's seatFederal listFederal listFederal list
Last election157 seats, 22.30%NewNew
Seats won1137368
Seat changeDecrease2.svg 44NewNew
Popular vote16,195,56915,548,7078,886,697
Percentage24.29% (PL)23.32% (PL)13.33% (PL)
SwingIncrease2.svg 1.99%NewNew

 Fourth partyFifth partySixth party
  Sergei Kirienko - World Economic Forum Annual Meeting Davos 2000 (cropped).jpg Ba-yavlinsky-g-a-1999-june (sq, cropped).jpg Vladimir Zhirinovsky 2009 portrait (cropped).jpg
Leader Sergey Kiriyenko Grigory Yavlinsky Vladimir Zhirinovsky
Party SPS Yabloko Zhirinovsky Bloc
Leader since24 August 199916 October 199313 December 1989
Leader's seatFederal listFederal listFederal list
Last electionNew45 seats, 6.89%51 seats, 11.18%
Seats won292017
Seat changeNewDecrease2.svg 25Decrease2.svg 34
Popular vote5,676,9823,955,4573,989,932
Percentage8.52% (PL)5.93% (PL)5.98% (PL)
SwingNewDecrease2.svg 0.96%Decrease2.svg 5.20%

 Seventh partyEighth partyNinth party
  Viktor Chernomyrdin-1.jpg
Ilyukhin (2010-06-18).jpg
Konchina Ego Sviateishchestva Aleksiia II, 05 dekabria, KhKhS , Sobornaia vstrecha. Moscow, Russia - panoramio - Oleg Yu.Novikov (4).jpg
Leader Viktor Chernomyrdin Viktor Ilyukhin Sergey Baburin
Party NDR DPA ROS
Leader since12 May 19958 July 199821 December 1991
Leader's seat Yamalo-Nenets Pervomaysky Omsk Central (lost)
Last election55 seats, 10.13%New5 seats (inside VN)
Seats won722
Seat changeDecrease2.svg 48NewDecrease2.svg 3
Popular vote791,160384,392245,266
Percentage1.19% (PL)0.58% (PL)0.37% (PL)
SwingDecrease2.svg 8.94%New

1999 Russian legislative election PR map by federal subject.svg
1999 Russian legislative election PR map.svg
1999 Russian legislative election constituency map.svg

Chairman of the State Duma before election

Gennadiy Seleznyov
CPRF

Elected Chairman of the State Duma

Gennadiy Seleznyov
CPRF

Legislative elections were held in Russia on 19 December 1999 to elect the 450 seats in the State Duma, the lower house of the Federal Assembly. [1] Like in the previous elections in 1995, the electoral system resulted in many parties competing for the proportional seats and a significant number of independent deputies elected.

Contents

Electoral system

According to the 1993 electoral law, 225 members of the house were allocated proportionally, using statewide party lists, while other 225 members were elected in single-member constituencies, using first past the post system.

To secure a place on the ballot, parties had to have registered with the Russian Ministry of Justice one year before the election (instead of six months in previous elections). As an alternative to gathering 200,000 signatures, they had the option of paying a deposit of just over two million roubles, returnable if the party won at least 3.0 percent of the list vote. In order to increase proportionality, the law provided that if parties reaching the five per cent threshold got in total 50 per cent or less of the vote, parties with at least 3.0 per cent of the vote would also win seats by declining numbers of votes up to the point at which the total share of vote exceeded 50 per cent. However, if after this procedure the parties winning seats still had less than 50 per cent of the vote, the election was to be deemed invalid. In the single-member district ballots, if votes cast against all exceeded the votes of each candidate, a repeat election had to be held within four months. As a result, repeat elections had to be held in eight districts. Finally, as an alternative to gathering signatures in support of their nomination, single-member district candidates were also given the option of paying a deposit of 83,490 roubles, returnable if they won at least 5.0 percent of the district vote.

Political parties and blocs

No. [a] Electoral association or bloc [2] Abbr.Lead candidatesPolitical positionIdeology
1 Conservative Movement of Russia KDR Lev Ubozhko • Vladimir Burenin • Andrey TishkovCentre-right to right-wing Conservatism / Anti-communism
2 Russian All-People's Union ROS Sergey BaburinNikolay LeonovNikolay Pavlov Right-wing Conservatism / Right-wing populism
3 Women of Russia ZhR Alevtina FedulovaGalina Karelova • Nina VeselovaCentre Feminism / Pacifism / Welfare state
5 Stalin Bloc – For the USSR
Labour Russia, Union of Officers, NPSM
Viktor AnpilovYevgeny DzhugashviliStanislav Terekhov Far-left Stalinism / Anti-revisionism / Soviet patriotism
6 Yabloko Association Yabloko Grigory YavlinskySergei StepashinVladimir Lukin Centre Social liberalism / Reformism
7Communists and Workers of Russia – for the Soviet Union
RKRP, K–TR, SR
K–TR Viktor TyulkinAnatoly Kryuchkov • Vladislav AseyevFar-left Communism / Anti-revisionism
8 Peace, Labour, May
Industrial Union, Native Fatherland
May Alexander BurkovValery TrushnikovAlexander Tatarkin Centre-left Left-wing populism
9Andrei Nikolayev and Svyatoslav Fyodorov Bloc
SNT, PST, SPT, Union of Realists
Andrei NikolayevSvyatoslav Fyodorov • Tatyana MalyutinaCentre-left Democratic socialism / Social democracy
10Spiritual HeritageDN Alexey PodberezkinPyotr ProskurinValery Vorotnikov Right-wing Statism / Collectivism
11Congress of Russian Communities and Yury Boldyrev Movement
KRO, Interethnic Union
KRO Yury BoldyrevDmitry RogozinViktor Glukhikh Right-wing Right-wing populism / National conservatism
12 Party of Peace and Unity PME Sazhi UmalatovaViktor StepanovNikolay Antoshkin Left-wing Communism / Internationalism / Soviet patriotism
13Russian Party for the Protection of WomenRPZZhTatyana Roshchina • Zhanna Makhova • Irina KremenetsCentre Social liberalism / Feminism
14 Inter-Regional Movement "Unity"
NPPR, My Family, SPSMSB, Generation of Freedom, Voters Support, RHDP, Prosperity
MeDvEd Sergei ShoiguAlexander KarelinAlexander Gurov Centre-right Social conservatism / Populism
15 Social Democrats SDVladimir Belyayev • Tatyana Tsyba • Vasily PopovLeft-wing Social democracy
16 All-Russian Political Movement in Support of the Army DPA Viktor IlyukhinAlbert MakashovYury Savelyev Far-left Militarism / Soviet patriotism
17 Zhirinovsky Bloc
PDVR, RSSM
LDPR Vladimir ZhirinovskyOleg FinkoYegor Solomatin Right-wing Right-wing populism / Russian nationalism / Unitarism
18For Civil DignityZGD Ella PamfilovaAlexander DondukovAnatoly Shkirko Centre Liberalism / Human rights protection
19 Fatherland – All Russia
Fatherland, All Russia, APR
OVR Yevgeny PrimakovYury LuzhkovVladimir Yakovlev Centre to centre-left Social liberalism / Civic nationalism
20 Communist Party of the Russian Federation CPRF Gennady ZyuganovGennady SeleznyovVasily Starodubtsev Left-wing Socialism / Left-wing populism / Left-wing nationalism
21Patriotic Forces Movement – Russian Cause
ROD, Union of Compatriots "Fatherland", Christian Rebirth
RDOleg Ivanov • Yury Petrov • Mikhail SidorovRight-wing National conservatism
22All-Russian Political Party of the PeopleVPPNAnzor Aksentyev-Kikalishvili • Tatyana Bure • Vladimir Shainsky Centre-left Populism / Social liberalism
23 Union of Right Forces
DVR, New Force, Young Russia, Lawyers for Human Rights
SPS Sergey KiriyenkoBoris NemtsovIrina Khakamada Centre-right to right-wing Conservative liberalism / Neoliberalism / Atlanticism
25 Our Home – Russia NDR Viktor ChernomyrdinVladimir RyzhkovDmitry Ayatskov Centre-right Liberal conservatism
26Socialist Party of RussiaSPR Ivan RybkinLeonid Mayorov • Andrey BelishkoLeft-wing Social democracy
27 Party of Pensioners RPP Yakov Ryabov • Anatoly Kontashov • Rimma Markova Centre Pensioners interests
28 Russian Socialist Party RSP Vladimir Bryntsalov • Igor Bryntsalov • Yury BryntsalovRight-wing Conservatism / Traditionalism

Rejected lists

Electoral associationAbbr.Lead candidatesPolitical positionIdeologyNotes
Liberal Democratic Party of Russia LDPR Vladimir ZhirinovskyAnatoly BykovMikhail Musatov Right-wing Right-wing populism / Russian nationalism / Unitarism On 11 October 1999 the CEC rejected the federal party list due to inaccurate data about the candidates, [3] including LDPR's no.2 Anatoly Bykov who was wanted on suspicion of money laundering. [4]
SalvationSpas Alexander BarkashovVladimir Davidenko • Dmitry BelikFar-right Russian nationalism / Antisemitism / Anti-immigrant sentiment Affiliated with the Russian National Unity, Salvation movement was registered with the CEC on 2 November 1999 and received ballot number 4. It was disqualified from the election on 25 November after some of its regional chapters were found existing only on paper. [5]
Ecological Party of Russia "Kedr" KEDR Anatoly Panfilov • Vladimir Petrov • Ivan Okhlobystin Centre Green politics Registered with the CEC on 3 November 1999, receiving ballot number 24. Disqualified on 10 December after two of its top-three candidates withdrew from election. [6]
Russian Party RPVladimir Miloserdov • Galina Chubkova • Valery LuzginFar-right Ultranationalism / Russian irredentism Did not submit signatures to the CEC before deadline or pay an election deposit. [7]
Russian Patriotic Popular MovementRPNDAleksandr Fyodorov • Aleksandr Kravchuk • Aleksey VedenkinFar-right Russian nationalism Did not submit signatures to the CEC before deadline or pay an election deposit. [8]
Russian Conservative Party of EntrepreneursRKPPMikhail Toporkov • Yury Antonov • Viktor GokinayevRight-wing Conservatism Registration denied after one of top-three candidates was recalled by the party. [9]

Campaign

Liberal Democratic nominee Vladimir Zhirinovsky campaigning for his party Zhirinovsky Vladimir (cropped1).jpg
Liberal Democratic nominee Vladimir Zhirinovsky campaigning for his party

The early election campaign saw the initial surge in popularity of Fatherland-All Russia bloc, led by the Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov and the former Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov, which tried to capitalize upon the perceived incapacity of President Boris Yeltsin and the weakness of his administration. The tide had turned on 9 August 1999 when Yeltsin designated Vladimir Putin as Prime Minister and his eventual successor. On 24 November, Putin announced that "as a citizen" he will support the recently formed pro-government bloc Interregional Movement "Unity", headed by General Sergei Shoigu, a member of all Russian governments since 1994.

Opinion polls

Opinion polling for the 1999 Russian legislative election.svg
Polling firmFieldwork date CPRF Unity OVR SPS [b] LDPR NDR Yabloko NRPRLead
VCIOM [10] 12 Dec2421127483
FOM [10] 12 Dec2116955175
ROMIR [10] 10-12 Dec17179757Tie
ARPI [10] 10-12 Dec20.814.711.66.54.496.1
24 NovVladimir Putin endorses Unity bloc
FOM [11] 20-21 Nov29.111.115.26.95.51.311.110
FOM [11] 13-14 Nov30.110.919.15.45.42.710.98
FOM [11] 6-7 Nov27.310.921.95.45.44.112.34
FOM [11] 30-31 Oct25.99.022.03.85.12.512.93
11 Oct CEC forces LDPR to re-register as "Zhirinovsky Bloc"
ARPI [12] 4-10 Oct302575195
FOM [13] 18-19 Sep21292321048
4–16 Sep Russian apartment bombings
FOM [13] 4-5 Sep20232511243
FOM [13] 21–22 Aug2127351846
9 Aug Vladimir Putin appointed prime minister
FOM [13] 24-25 Jul23155621158
ROMIR [14] 5–15 Jul22.5133.24.73.913.52.69
FOM [13] 26-27 Jun22153621157
ROMIR [14] 5–15 Jun21.917.25.74.93.712.27.64.7
FOM [13] 29–30 May24162721358
15 May Impeachment attempt of Boris Yeltsin fails in the State Duma
12 May Sergey Stepashin appointed prime minister
ROMIR [14] 5–15 May23.613.51.35.43.213.4410.1
FOM [13] 24-25 Apr23133531548
ROMIR [14] 5–15 Apr23.411.33.66.63.415.76.17.7
FOM [13] 27-28 Mar241325214510
24 MarPM Primakov cancels visit to the US over Yugoslavia bombings
ROMIR [14] 5–15 Mar25.59.60.95.22.213.74.411.8
FOM [13] 27-28 Feb261634211510
ROMIR [14] 5–15 Feb23.110.614.72.311.9511.2
ROMIR [14] 5–15 Jan 199922.813.60.93.72.513.34.59.2
ROMIR [14] 5–15 Nov 199825.11.13.53.612.78.312.4
FOM [15] 11 Oct 199721281011
FOM [15] 23 Dec 19951988711
1995 election 19 Dec 199522.3New New New 11.210.16.9New11.1

Results

PartyParty-listConstituencyTotal
seats
+/–
Votes%SeatsVotes%Seats
Communist Party 16,196,02424.78678,893,54713.7146113–44
Unity 15,549,18223.79641,408,8012.17973New
Fatherland – All Russia 8,886,75313.59375,469,3898.433168New
Union of Right Forces 5,677,2478.68242,016,2943.11529New
Zhirinovsky Bloc 3,990,0386.10171,026,6901.58017–34
Yabloko 3,955,6116.05163,289,7605.07420–25
Communists and Workers of Russia – for the Soviet Union 1,481,8902.270439,7700.6800–1
Women of Russia 1,359,0422.080326,8840.5000–3
Party of Pensioners 1,298,9711.990480,0870.7411New
Our Home – Russia 790,9831.2101,733,2572.6777–48
Russian Party for the Protection of Women536,0220.8200New
Congress of Russian CommunitiesYury Boldyrev Movement405,2980.620461,0690.7111–4
Stalin Bloc – For the USSR 404,2740.62064,3460.1000New
For Civil Dignity 402,7540.620147,6110.2300New
All-Russian Political Movement in Support of the Army 384,4040.590466,1760.7222New
Peace, Labour, May 383,3320.590126,4180.1900New
Andrei Nikolayev and Svyatoslav Fyodorov Bloc371,9380.570676,4371.0411New
Party of Peace and Unity 247,0410.3800New
Russian All-People's Union 245,2660.380700,9761.0822–3
Russian Socialist Party 156,7090.240662,0301.0211New
Russian Cause111,8020.1701,8460.0000New
Conservative Movement of Russia 87,6580.130125,9260.1900New
All-Russian People's Party69,6950.1100New
All-Russian Socio-Political Movement "Spiritual Heritage" 67,4170.100594,4260.9211New
Socialist Party of Russia 61,6890.09030,0850.0500New
Social-Democrats of Russia 50,9480.08018,6180.03000
Russian Ecological Party "Kedr" 112,1670.17000
Russian Patriotic Popular Movement10,4810.0200New
Russian Party 7,9180.01000
Russian Conservative Party of Entrepreneurs2,6470.0000New
Independents27,877,09542.98105105+28
Against all2,198,7023.367,695,17111.8688
Vacant seats11
Total65,370,690100.0022564,865,922100.002254500
Valid votes65,370,69098.0564,865,92297.84
Invalid/blank votes1,296,9921.951,429,7792.16
Total votes66,667,682100.0066,295,701100.00
Registered voters/turnout108,073,95661.69108,073,95661.34
Source: Nohlen & Stöver, University of Essex

Further reading

reviewed by Luke March in: Slavic Review 63.4 (Winter 2004), 897–898.

Notes

  1. Positions 4 and 24 were allocated to the Salvation movement and Ecological Party "Kedr", which were later disqualified.
  2. Right Cause coalition (Boris Nemtsov) in February–March FOM polls, summary of Right Cause and New Force (Sergey Kiriyenko) in April–August FOM polls.

References

  1. Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p. 1642 ISBN   978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. "Результаты жеребьевки". panorama.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 31 August 2025.
  3. "БЛОК ЖИРИНОВСКОГО". panorama.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  4. "RUSSIAN ELECTION WATCH No. 3, October 1999". www.belfercenter.org. Harvard University (John F. Kennedy School of Government). p. 4. Archived from the original on 30 October 2018.
  5. "Спас". panorama.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  6. "КЕДР". panorama.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  7. "Выборы, блоки, партии. Избирательное объединение "Русская партия"". panorama.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  8. "Выборы, блоки, партии. Избирательное объединение "Российское патриотическое народное движение"". panorama.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  9. "Выборы, блоки, партии. Избирательное объединение "Российская консервативная партия предпринимателей"". panorama.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Сводный рейтинг". panorama.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "ФОМ №75 Партии в динамике". FOM (in Russian). Archived from the original on 27 November 1999.
  12. "Рейтинг от АРПИ". panorama.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "ФОМ №66 Тематические опросы". FOM (in Russian). Archived from the original on 27 February 2001.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Which Party/Movement/Bloc Would You Vote For, If The Election To The State Duma Were Held Tomorrow? (November 1998 – July 1999)". ROMIR. Archived from the original on 31 January 2004.
  15. 1 2 "Кто стал бы заседать в Думе в случае внеочередных выборов? / ФОМ-ИНФО № 43 (187)". fom.ru (in Russian). 30 October 1997. Archived from the original on 16 January 1998.