Students in Siberia, doctors on the Volga river, and office workers in Moscow say they are being threatened with disciplinary action if they do not vote in Sunday’s parliamentary election. Officials have denied there is a campaign to force people to vote and President Vladimir Putin, who is leading his United Russia party into the election, said this week it would be “honest, as transparent as possible and open”. But Kremlin critics say reports of employers putting pressure on their staff to vote confirm their suspicion the vote will be skewed to ensure a big personal endorsement for Putin. Russian law states voting is voluntary.
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