Monitors criticise Russian poll

Source: BBC News

Mr Putin (left) congratulated Mr Medvedev late on Sunday

The only Western observer group monitoring Russia's presidential election says the poll was flawed.

Observers from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) said Russia's "democratic potential" was unfulfilled.

Dmitry Medvedev, President Vladimir Putin's chosen successor, won a landslide victory in Sunday's poll.

His opponents say the poll was marred by violations, including coercion to vote - a charge denied by Moscow.

With nearly 100% of the ballots counted, Mr Medvedev won 70.23% of the vote, Russia's election commission said.

Mr Medvedev said he hoped to work in an "effective tandem" with Mr Putin as his prime minister.

Mr Medvedev's nearest rival was Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov, with 17.76% of the vote. He vowed to go to court over alleged fraud, Itar-Tass news agency reports.

'Like plebiscite on Putin'

"The results of the presidential election are a reflection of the will of an electorate whose democratic potential was, unfortunately, not tapped," the PACE 22-member observer mission said in a statement on Monday.

"In the elections, which had more the character of a plebiscite on the last eight years in this country, the people of Russia voted for the stability and continuity associated with the incumbent President [Putin] and the candidate promoted by him.

"The president-elect will have a solid mandate given to him by the majority of Russians," the statement said.

The PACE monitors also said that the "election repeated most of the flaws revealed during the Duma elections of December 2007". Mr Putin's United Russia party won a huge majority in the December parliamentary election.

"Candidate registration concerns could not have been accommodated, putting into question the degree of how free the election was.

"Equal access of the candidates to the media and the public sphere in general has not improved, putting into question the fairness of the election," the PACE observers said.

Last month, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe - the continent's main election watchdog - decided to boycott the polls because of Moscow's restrictions.

In response, Russia's foreign ministry called the monitors' decision "unacceptable".

Only 300 international observers were monitoring the 96,000 polling stations on Sunday.

Russian poll observers said many state sector workers had been told by their bosses to vote.

Medvedev 'to continue Putin work'

Mr Putin (left) congratulated Mr Medvedev late on Sunday

Dmitry Medvedev has vowed to continue the course of predecessor Vladimir Putin after winning a landslide victory in Russia's presidential election.

With nearly 100% of the ballots counted, the election commission has announced he won 70.23% of the vote.

Mr Medvedev said he hoped to work in an "effective tandem" with Mr Putin as his prime minister.

As president, he said, he would control foreign policy with the defence of Russian interests his chief priority.

Mr Putin, he confirmed, would be moving out of the Kremlin.

Mr Medvedev's nearest rival was Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov, with 17.76% of the vote. He vowed to go to court over alleged fraud, Itar-Tass news agency reports.

We will increase stability, improve the quality of life and move forward on the path we have chosen Dmitry Medvedev

The mainly pro-Kremlin media have welcomed a Medvedev victory.

The Izvestia newspaper said the vote was a "triumph of the majority" that created a "bridge to the future for Russia".

Mr Putin late on Sunday congratulated Mr Medvedev on his big lead when they appeared together at a rally in Moscow's Red Square.

Speaking to reporters later, Mr Medvedev said his policies would be "a direct continuation of that path which is being carried out by President Putin".

Asked about foreign policy, he said "the president defines Russia's foreign policy according to the constitution".

Russia's priorities would, he said, continue to be its fellow ex-Soviet republics.

On where Mr Putin would work as prime minister, he said "the place of the prime minister and the government is the White House", referring to the government building a few miles from the Kremlin.

A first deputy PM, Mr Medvedev was the clear favourite from the start and enjoyed generous television coverage.

Mr Putin, who has been in office for eight years, was barred by the constitution from seeking a third term, but has pledged to serve as Mr Medvedev's prime minister.

'Irregularities'

Turnout was high, at 69.65%, officials said. But there were reports that many workers were told by their bosses to vote.

Various inducements were also offered to mobilise voters, including cheap food, free cinema tickets or toys, correspondents say.

After polls closed Mr Zyuganov said there had been widespread irregularities.

"We will go to court over this," Itar-Tass quoted him as saying.

The Kremlin has dismissed claims of fraud.

There has been very little scrutiny of voting by Western election observers, many of whom stayed away.

The main independent Russian observer group, Golos, said the turnout was impossibly high in some regions.