Ramzan Kadyrov, long-time chief of Russia’s Chechnya region and a staunch ally of President Vladimir Putin, has gained another term in office after winning 99.85% of the vote in the latest regional election, according to Russia’s Central Electoral Commission.
The election was held as part of Russia’s wider three-day voting process which ended on September 20. The official result gives Kadyrov an even higher vote share than the 99.73% he got in the previous election in 2021.
Two other candidates contested the Chechen leadership election, but neither came close to Kadyrov’s result. According to the figures, each received only 0.05% of the vote.
Kadyrov has been in charge of Chechnya since 2007 and has a close relationship with Putin since then. His position is closely linked to Moscow’s political power in the North Caucasus republic where he has established a powerful regional administration.
His rise to the top of Chechen politics occurred after the death of his father Akhmat Kadyrov, killed in a bombing in 2004 in Chechnya. Akhmat Kadyrov had earlier supported Moscow during the Chechnya war. Ramzan Kadyrov later became acting head of the republic before formally taking charge.
Kadyrov has proven his loyalty to Putin over the years. He has also supported Russia’s military operations in Ukraine in particular and has said that Chechen fighters have been involved in the conflict since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
The last election result has attracted attention because it was such a high percentage for Kadyrov. Chechnya elections have been criticised in the past by rights and international observers who say there is political rivalry and elections are not well-functioning.
But Kadyrov and his government have denied such accusations.
His government has also been criticised by human rights organisations for alleged abuses: restrictions on critics, journalists and members of the LGBTQ+ community. The Chechen authorities have denied the allegations.
Kadyrov’s victory comes at a time when Russia’s ruling United Russia party is also maintaining its strong position in the country’s parliamentary election. The party received 57.83% of the vote with more than 95% of ballots counted, according to the Central Electoral Commission.
The result thus keeps Kadyrov in the center of Chechnya’s political system for another term, and further indicates his continuing allegiance with the Kremlin. His high official vote share is also expected to be a major focus of discussion to come.
