Vote Fraud Alleged As Putin Wins Russia's Presidential Election

Observers Slam Russian Vote As Putin Declares Victory -- CNN

Moscow (CNN) -- International observers blasted Russia's presidential election Monday, saying: "The point of an election is that the outcome should be uncertain. This was not the case in Russia."

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin looked set to win Sunday's vote and return to the office he held until he was forced out by term limits four years ago.

But monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe expressed disappointment and frustration with the way he won.

Read more ....

More News On Vladimir Putin Winning Russia's Presidential Election

Russian Election 2012 -- BBC
Russia elections: live -- The Telegraph
As it happened: Russia votes in presidential election -- BBC
Russian presidential vote: Live Report -- AFP

Russian election deemed unfair, protests planned -- Reuters
Russia election: Vladimir Putin declares victory -- BBC
'Serious problems' in Russia's presidential election, foreign observers claim -- FOX News/AP
Monitors signal Russian vote fraud -- Financial Times
Observers: "Serious problems" in Russia vote -- CBS/AP
Monitors find 'serious problems' with Putin victory -- The Telegraph
'Serious problems' with vote that kept Vladimir Putin in power, monitors say -- MSNBC
International Monitors Say Russia Vote Skewed For Putin -- Radio Free Europe

Putin: we won Russian election honestly and fairly – video -- The Guardian
Putin Secures 63.71% After 99.5% of Ballots Counted -- RIA Novosti
Tearful Putin wins back Russian presidency -- Reuters
Russia election: Vladimir Putin celebrates victory -- BBC
Putin Wins, but Opposition Keeps Pressing -- New York Times
Putin Wins Disputed Victory -- Wall Street Journal
Putin wins election as Russian president; opponents claim widespread fraud -- Washington Post
Putin Declares Victory in Russian Presidential Election -- Voice of America
Putin wins in Russia, loses big in Moscow? -- RT
Vladimir Putin declares victory in Russian presidential election -- Bosotn Herald/L.A. Times
Moscow's ring of steel as 12,000 police brace for protests after Putin wins election -- The Telegraph

Economic problems for new Putin presidency -- BBC
Russian media and bloggers respond to Putin win -- BBC
Why Putin’s return to Kremlin matters to Russia and the world -- Washington Post/AP
Analysis: Price of victory may be too high for Putin -- Reuters

My Comment: Being a Russian expat .... what's my take? Talked to my relatives in St. Petersburg and Moscow .... no voting irregularities, Putin lost. Talked to my aunt in Vyazma, (150km west of Moscow), widespread vote stuffing that resulted in Putin winning big. This does not look good.

But as Russian elections go, this is .... sadly .... probably the fairest that has ever happened.

What's my prediction for the future .... nothing is going to change. The same corrupt and crummy political establishment will run the country, and more Russians will emigrate out.

I will be providing a more comprehensive analysis and commentary on Russia's Presidential election at the end of the day.