The occupying forces are organising sham elections in the TOT
In the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, the russian occupiers are launching a large-scale propaganda campaign ahead of the so-called state duma elections, which are due to take place on 20 September.
▫️ On the eve of the campaign, the occupation administrations in the temporarily occupied territories reported that the «election campaign is in its active phase», that the «election commissions are fully prepared to conduct the elections at a high level», and that «plans to introduce electronic voting services» are being implemented, among other claims.
▫️ At the same time, local propaganda outlets have intensified the promotion of narratives claiming that the «new regions» are allegedly «eveloping rapidly» under moscow’s rule, while also stepping up a campaign promoting the ruling «united russia» party.
✅ Despite the propaganda rhetoric, the real objectives of the occupation authorities have nothing to do with improving people’s lives. Through these elections, they seek to achieve several goals simultaneously:
▪️ to replace the local «elite» with russian officials brought in from russia. Most candidates on the regional party lists are russian officials;
▪️ to use the occupied territories, where the population has been intimidated by the terror of russian security services, the military, filtration measures, and other forms of repression, to manufacture an overwhelming result for the ruling party;
▪️ to use the results of these illegitimate «elections» to justify the occupation of Ukrainian territories, promote propaganda narratives claiming that the local population supports the russian authorities, and portray russia as a «democracy» that has allegedly held elections under conditions of armed conflict.
‼️ In reality, any russian elections held in the temporarily occupied territories are legally null and void, and the «authorities» created through them are illegitimate.
