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Putin party secures huge victory Putin party secures huge victory
(30 minutes later)
Russian President Vladimir Putin's party has won a landslide election victory, official results show. The United Russia party of President Vladimir Putin has secured more than 60% of the vote in Sunday's election, preliminary official results indicate.
With nearly 98% of ballots counted, his United Russia had 64.1% of the vote. The opposition Communists and two other parties were also poised to win seats. Only two other pro-Kremlin parties and the opposition Communists appear to have got sufficient votes to pass the threshold needed for seats in the Duma.
Opposition allegations of fraud were dismissed by the electoral commission. United Russia said the result showed Russians supported Mr Putin's course.
Mr Putin has said a strong result would give him the authority to retain political power after his presidential term ends next year, possibly as PM. The US has urged Moscow to investigate claims of voting irregularities by opposition leaders and the OSCE.
The Communists say they will mount a legal challenge to the result. They said a meeting would be held later on Monday to decide whether to boycott the new parliament. United Russia has admitted there were some irregularities on Sunday, but said they were not significant enough to affect the result.
Of course there are violations but... They in no way put in doubt the final result Boris GryzlovLeader, United Russia class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/7123867.stm">Food, music welcome voters class="" href="/1/hi/in_pictures/7123387.stm">In pictures: Russia votes class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/667749.stm">Profile: Vladimir Putin Mr Putin has said a strong result would give him the authority to retain political power after his presidential term ends next year, possibly as prime minister.
"We do not trust these figures announced by the central elections commission and we will conduct a parallel count," Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov said. 'National leader'
The White House also urged Russian authorities to investigate reports of fraud. With nearly 98% of ballots counted, the Central Election Commission announced on Monday morning that United Russia was leading with 64.1%, while the opposition Communists trailed with 11.6%.
United Russia's leader, Boris Gryzlov, acknowledged there had been violations but dismissed them as insignificant. Only two other parties - the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia and A Fair Russia, which are allied to United Russia - are on track to clear the 7% threshold required to qualify for seats.
"They in no way put in doubt the final result. The fact that these violations have been registered shows that we have a transparent ballot," he said. The vote affirmed the main idea - that Vladimir Putin is the national leader Boris GryzlovLeader, United Russia class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/7123867.stm">Food, music welcome voters class="" href="/1/hi/in_pictures/7123387.stm">In pictures: Russia votes class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/667749.stm">Profile: Vladimir Putin
Independent monitors have complained their attempts to observe the poll were hampered. The result would mean pro-Kremlin parties would have the two-thirds majority in the Duma required to able to amend the constitution.
Yabloko, the standard-bearer of the liberal left in the country, was a distant sixth with only 1.6% of the vote.
The election commission said the turnout amongst Russia's 109m voters had been 63%, up from 56% in the last parliamentary election four years ago.
United Russia's leader, parliamentary speaker Boris Gryzlov, hailed the result as a signal from Russian voters that they wanted President Putin to retain influence and his policies to be maintained even after he leaves office in 2008.
RESULTS SO FAR With 97.8% of vote counted United Russia: 64.1%Communist Party of Russia: 11.6%Liberal Democratic Party of Russia: 8.2%A Fair Russia (Mothers/Pensioners/Life): 7.8% Source: Central Election CommissionRESULTS SO FAR With 97.8% of vote counted United Russia: 64.1%Communist Party of Russia: 11.6%Liberal Democratic Party of Russia: 8.2%A Fair Russia (Mothers/Pensioners/Life): 7.8% Source: Central Election Commission
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) abandoned its plans to send a big team of election observers, accusing Moscow of imposing curbs and delaying visas. Russia denied the claims. "The vote affirmed the main idea - that Vladimir Putin is the national leader, that the people support his course, and this course will continue," he said after the results of exit polls were announced on Sunday.
Only a much smaller group of MPs from the OSCE's parliamentary assembly attended the election, leaving some 330 foreign monitors covering 95,000 polling stations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the result was "extremely important from the point of view of continuation... of the reforms started in the last eight years".
The independent Russian monitoring group Golos reported various violations it said amounted to "an organised campaign", including:
  • Entering those voting for United Russia into a prize lottery, reported in St Petersburg
  • Transporting voters by bus between polling stations, to vote multiple times, in Moscow and St Petersburg
  • Opposition party observers being detained for "looking suspicious", in Samara
  • Voters being given ballots already filled out for United Russia, in Pestovo
    • However, the chairman of the Central Election Commission, Vladimir Churov, told Russian television he knew of "no serious violations in the course of polling day".
    Eleven parties were competing for places in the lower house, the Duma.
    Many Russians are proud of Vladimir Putin's achievements
    But apart from United Russia, only three polled the minimum of 7% to enter parliament, according to partial results - the Communists, A Fair Russia and the right-wing Liberal Democratic Party.
    The latter two are allied to United Russia, meaning parties loyal to the Kremlin are expected to have 348 seats in the 450-seat parliament, according to a state-owned polling agency.
    This would give United Russia and its allies enough support to push through possible changes to the constitution.
    Mr Gryzlov of United Russia said the election was "a referendum on President Putin so I think we can say he has won a victory".
    The party will nominate its candidate for next year's presidential elections at a congress later this month, Mr Gryzlov said.
    Options for Putin
    Mr Putin is constitutionally obliged to stand down after his second term as president ends in March next year.Mr Putin is constitutionally obliged to stand down after his second term as president ends in March next year.
    According to the BBC's James Rodgers in Moscow, his party's apparent landslide win in Sunday's election will enable him to continue wielding great influence in politics - even if he is no longer in high office. Mr Peskov said Mr Putin planned to "transfer his presidency to another man" following the presidential election in March, while United Russia announced it would nominate its candidate for the post at a party congress on 17 December.
    Mr Putin announced earlier this year that he may seek the office of prime minister after his presidential term ends. The BBC's James Rodgers in Moscow says United Russia's landslide win on Sunday will enable Mr Putin to continue wielding great influence in politics - even if he is no longer in high office.
    If predictions are right and the Liberal Democratic Party enters parliament, it means its candidate Andrei Lugovoi would be guaranteed a seat. 'Irresponsible and dirty'
    Mr Lugovoi is wanted in Britain over the murder of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, but a parliamentary seat would grant him immunity from prosecution and extradition. However opponents have been crying foul.
    The Communists and several smaller opposition parties have said they will mount a legal challenge in the Supreme Court .
    The executive branch acted as though it practically elected the parliament Kimmo KiljunenDeputy Head, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
    Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov said the election had been the "most irresponsible and dirty" in the post-Soviet era and warned that the new parliament would be a "subsidiary of the Kremlin, a rubber-stamp factory".
    The election also came under strong criticism from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
    "The executive branch acted as though it practically elected the parliament," the OSCE's Kimmo Kiljunen told the Moscow Echo radio station.
    The OSCE abandoned its plans to send a big team of election observers, accusing Moscow of imposing curbs and delaying visas. Russia denied the claims.
    The independent Russian monitoring group Golos said violations had amounted to "an organised campaign".
    Turnout at the election is believed to have been very high
    Spokeswoman Tatyana Bogdanova said observers had reported cases where state employees and students had been pressured to vote.
    The White House urged Russian authorities to investigate the reports of fraud.
    However, the chairman of the Central Election Commission, Vladimir Churov, told Russian television he knew of "no serious violations in the course of polling day".
    Mr Gryzlov also acknowledged there had been violations but dismissed them as insignificant.
    The election also appears to have delivered a parliamentary seat to Andrei Lugovoi, the man the UK wants to put on trial for the murder of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko.
    He has denied the charge, but status as a member of parliament for the Liberal Democratic Party would bring with it immunity from prosecution in Russia.