VLADIMIR Putin cruised to victory in Russia’s presidential election yesterday, giving him at least another six years in power as Moscow’s relations with the West become increasingly strained.

Putin, who has ruled Russia for almost two decades, recorded his best-ever election performance with more than 76% of the vote, but the opposition cried foul.

Monitors reported ballot stuffing and other cases of alleged fraud as the Kremlin pushed for a high turnout to give greater legitimacy to Putin’s historic fourth term.

The Russian strongman ran against seven other candidates, but his most vocal critic, Alexei Navalny, was barred from the ballot for legal reasons, and the final outcome was never in doubt.

“I see in this (result) the confidence and hope of our people,” Putin said in an address to a crowd of supporters in a square next to the Kremlin after exit polls put him on track for a resounding victory.

“Our thoughts will turn to the future of our great country and the future of our children,” said the man who is already Russia’s longest-serving leader since Stalin.

About 107 million Russians were eligible to cast ballots, and in its latest update on participation, three hours before polls closed in Moscow, the central election commission said turnout was at 60%.

Authorities used both the carrot and the stick to boost engagement in the polls.

Selfie competitions, giveaways, food festivals and children’s entertainers were laid on at polling stations in a bid to create a festive atmosphere around the election.

But, employees of state and private companies reported coming under pressure to vote, while students were threatened with problems in their exams or even expulsion if they did not take part, said the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper.

According to central election commission data, with 90% of ballots counted, Putin took 76.4% of the vote, well ahead of his nearest competitor, Communist Party candidate Pavel Grudinin, who was at 12%.

Ultra-nationalist firebrand Vladimir Zhirinovsky took around 6%, former reality TV presenter Ksenia Sobchak (1.5%) and other candidates (less than 1% each).

The election was held as Russia faces increasing isolation on the world stage over a spy poisoning in Britain and a fresh round of US sanctions just as it gears up for the football World Cup in the summer.

‘Unprecedented violations’

Navalny – who called on his supporters to boycott the “fake” vote and sent more than 33,000 observers across the country to see how official turnout figures differed from those of monitors – said there have been “unprecedented violations”.

His lawyer, Ivan Zhdanov, said the actual national turnout as at 1700 GMT, when polls closed in Moscow, was 55%, according to data collected by monitors.

Navalny’s opposition movement and civil society election monitor Golos reported ballot stuffing, repeat voting and Putin supporters being bussed into polling stations en masse.

One election commission worker in the republic of Dagestan, which traditionally registers extremely high official turnout figures, told AFP that around 50 men entered the station where he was working and physically assaulted an observer before stuffing a ballot box.

But, the electoral commission dismissed most concerns, saying monitors sometimes misinterpret what they see.

Runner-up Grudinin said the election was “dishonest”, in comments carried by news agencies following early results. – AFP, March 19, 2018.