Medvedev wins more than 70% in presidential vote
Medvedev wins more than 70% in presidential vote
Moscow: Dmitry Medvedev won Russia’s presidential election with just over 70 % of the vote, according to final preliminary returns released Tuesday.
Central Election Commission Vladimir Churov said that with 100% of precincts counted, Medvedev won Sunday’s election with 70.28% of the vote. Turnout was 69.78%.
Communist Party chief Gennady Zyuganov trailed with 17.72%, while ultranationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky followed with 9.34% and little-known candidate Andrei Bogdanov captured 1.29%, Churov said.
Final official results will be released later this week.
Medvedev’s election was assured by support from President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin’s tight control over the national media and political landscape.
The election was tainted by lopsided state media coverage favoring Medvedev and accounts of pressure on voters. Across Russia, voters say they were pushed, cajoled and pressured to cast ballots as part of a Kremlin campaign to ensure a strong victory for Putin’s protege.
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