Russia goes to the polls in presidential election

Image copyrightAFP

Russians are voting in an election that is likely to return Vladimir Putin for a fourth term as president.

Voting began in the Russian far-east at 20:00 GMT on Saturday, and opened in Moscow nine hours later. More than 100 million people are eligible to vote.

Exit polls are expected late on Sunday. Mr Putin is hoping for another six-year term and faces seven other candidates.

He said he would see as a success any result that gave him the “right to perform the duties of president.”

His comments were carried on national TV as he voted in Moscow.

Mr Putin’s rivals include a millionaire communist, Pavel Grudinin, a former reality television host, Ksenia Sobchak, and veteran nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky.

The main opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, has been prohibited from standing, because of a fraud conviction that he has condemned as politically motivated. Mr Navalny has urged voters to boycott the election and has sent thousands of observers to polling stations to watch for possible violations.

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Image copyrightREUTERS

Vladimir Putin, 65, has been Russia’s dominant leader since 1999, either as president or prime minister.

Independent election monitoring group Golos reported more than 1,700 irregularities:

• Voting papers were found in some ballot boxes before polls opened
• Observers were barred from entering some polling stations
• Some people were bussed in amid suspicion of forced voting

Videos taken from the election commission’s live stream of polling stations also appeared to show some instances of officials stuffing ballots into boxes.

In some regions, free food and discounts in local shops were on offer.