Re-election of Kadyrov as Leader of Chechnya with Nearly 100% of the Votes

The Russian election committee announced on Monday the re-election of Ramzan Kadyrov, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, for a fifth term as the leader of the Chechen Republic, with nearly 100% of the votes.

Russia concluded its national parliamentary elections on Sunday, alongside regional legislative elections and gubernatorial positions, in a test of the tightly controlled political system in the country, after four and a half years of war in Ukraine.

The results showed a sweeping victory for Kremlin-backed parties and candidates, following the exclusion of most opposition candidates against the war from the electoral race.

Kadyrov enjoys a wide margin of freedom granted to him by Putin to manage Chechnya as if it were his own fiefdom, in exchange for ensuring stability in a region that experienced anti-Russian insurgency during the 1990s.

The Russian Central Election Commission reported that Kadyrov received 99.85% of the votes in Chechnya, a slightly higher percentage than the 99.73% he received in 2021. International observers had previously criticized the conduct of elections in this small mountainous region.

Kadyrov rejects these criticisms, considering them as attempts supported by the West to undermine his rule. He continuously emphasizes his personal loyalty to Putin and adopts a hardline stance on the war in Ukraine, stating that his Chechen forces have been fighting since 2022.

Kadyrov's rise to power came after the assassination of his father, Akhmad Kadyrov, in a bombing carried out by rebels who considered him a "traitor" to their ranks.

Human rights organizations have long accused Kadyrov's government of committing widespread human rights violations, accusations that Kadyrov denies.