With 88% vote, Putin cruises to victory in presidential election

Moscow, March 17

President Vladimir Putin won a record 88% in Russia's presidential election on Sunday, exit polls and first results showed, cementing his grip on power, though thousands of opponents staged a symbolic noon protest at polling stations. The early result means Putin, who came to power in 1999, looks to have easily won a new six-year term that would enable him to overtake Josef Stalin and become Russia's longest-serving leader for more than 200 years.

Putin won 87.8% of the vote, the highest ever result in Russia's post-Soviet history, an exit poll by pollster FOM showed. The Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (VCIOM) put Putin on 87%. First official results indicated the polls were accurate.

Opponents gagged

The elections are not free, given how Putin has imprisoned opponents and prevented others from running against him. —White House spokesperson

Not surprising

The election result will surprise nobody. Putin’s rule is authoritarian. He relies on censorship, repression and violence. —Germany foreign ministry

Against peace

By illegally holding elections on Ukrainian land, Russia shows it is not interested in peace. The UK will keep helping Ukraine. —UK foreign office

Sick for power

It is clear to everyone in the world that this figure (Putin) is simply sick for power and is doing everything to rule forever. —Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine president

The election comes just over two years since Putin triggered the deadliest European conflict since World War Two by ordering the invasion of Ukraine. He casts it as a "special military operation".

War has hung over the three day election: Ukraine has repeatedly attacked oil refineries in Russia, shelled Russian regions and sought to pierce Russian borders with proxy forces - a move Putin said would not be left unpunished.

While Putin's re-election is not in doubt given his control over Russia and the absence of any real challengers, the former KGB spy wanted to show that he has the overwhelming support of Russians. Several hours before polls closed at 1800 GMT, the nationwide turnout surpassed 2018 levels of 67.5%.

Supporters of Putin's most prominent opponent Alexei Navalny, who died in an Arctic prison last month, had called on Russians to come out at a "Noon against Putin" protest to show their dissent against a leader they cast as a corrupt autocrat. — Reuters

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