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Sunday, July 20, 2008

RUSSIA - ELECTION

Medvedev wins Russian presidential election

Russians went to the polls on March 2 to elect a successor to President Vladimir Putin. His protégé Dmitry Medvedev, the Kremlin candidate, won with 70 percent of the vote, according to the Central Election Commission.

Russians went to the polls on March 2 to elect President Vladimir Putin's successor. Dmitry Medvedev, a close ally of Putin, won with 70 percent of the vote, according to the Central Election Commission.

The other main candidates were Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov, populist Vladimir Zhirinovsky, and Andrei Bogdanov.

Putin, who is obliged by the constitution to step down after eight years in power, has accepted an advance offer from Medvedev to take up the prime minister's post.

Russia's Central Elections Commission has promised to hold a free and fair election but Europe's main election observation body, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, has boycotted the vote citing restrictions imposed by Russia.

Medvedev takes 70% of vote in presidential election With nearly all the votes in Russia's presidential poll counted, Dmitry Medvedev, Vladimir Putin's hand-picked successor, looked set for a landslide victory amid charges of fraud. (Report: J.Jackson)

Who is Medvedev? Dmitry Medvedev is expected to win the March 2 presidential election, thus emerging from the shadow of his mentor, Vladimir Putin. (Report: C.Moore)

Putin's economic legacy Few are benefiting from Russia's growing economy and rising standards of living under President Vladimir Putin. Most Russians continue to struggle for basic needs. (Report: R.Goguelin/A.Pokrovsky)

Putin holds on to Gazprom Putin may be giving up his role as Russian president, but his influence is set to continue undiminished. His designated successor is his own protégé Dmitry Medvedev, from whom Putin could take over as head of energy giant Gazprom.