Putin has officially been re-elected as President of Russia: CEC
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The Russian election authority has finalized the results of the elections and instated Vladimir Putin as president for an extra term.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses voters in the 2024 presidential election at the Kremlin, in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, March 21, 2024 (AP)
The top Russian election authority, the Central Election Commission (CEC), has finalized Vladimir Putin's re-election, instating him as president for another term.
Vladimir Putin won the presidential election in Russia with 87.28% of the votes, the latest data from the CEC showed on Monday.
The chairwoman of the Central Election Commission, Ella Pamfilova, confirmed that voter turnout in Russia's most recent elections was a record in the history of modern Russia with over 87.1 million Russians having voted - approximately 77.44% of voters.
"There has never been such a turnout in the history of modern Russia," Pamfilova stated.
388,791 people voted in 144 foreign countries at 295 polling stations as well, with Putin triumphing in what Pamfilova considered the "most unfriendly" countries to Russia.
In this context, Pamfilova slammed the Western-fabricated myth that elections in the Russian Federation are "not free", confirming that Russia is, adding that "these elections are unprecedented in the intensity of external aggressive influence."
"We proved to ourselves that we are an independent nation... and in the face of the West, we showed that we are united. We are proud of this," she stated.
She relayed that 99.74% of the ballots have already been processed and entered into the State automated system "Vybory".
Read more: More world leaders congratulate Putin on his win as the West outcries
A win despite sabotage attempts
Despite numerous Western attempts to sabotage the results of the elections, they were still fulfilled and the results still turned out unaffected and fair.
Pamiflova revealed that nine people out of a million were suspended from their bureaucratic duties in organizing the elections for several reasons. Moreover, throughout the elections, two administrators died, including a woman whose car was targeted and blown up by Ukrainian forces in the Zaporizhzhia region.
The CEC also revealed that 14,389 complaints were administered abroad, most of which were false. "The next element of 'terror' is telephone terrorism. It was just on an unprecedented scale. ... We were ready for this. The entire Russian electoral system was mobilized to the maximum extent possible," Pamiflova said.
Russian polling boxes were also vandalized, through arson or the dumping of green paint to damage the ballots. However, although some ballots had been spoiled in the process, the damage remained minimal and would not affect the final results, Maxim Grigoriev, co-chair of the Coordination Council for Public Control over Voting assured.
Read more: Over 19,000 cyber-attacks on Russian Presidential election recorded
Putin decries lack of democracy in the West after election victory
Putin has emerged victorious in Russia's presidential election in a landslide victory that saw him securing the overwhelming majority of the vote following the three-day-long election.
Addressing supporters at his election headquarters late March 17, Putin expressed gratitude to the Russian people for their participation, emphasizing that the election outcome would foster unity and strength within Russian society.
In his address, Putin underscored the significance of this electoral triumph in solidifying Russia's societal fabric and bolstering its resilience.
Moreover, Putin outlined his administration's key priorities moving forward, notably emphasizing the imperative of addressing the Ukraine war. He stressed the necessity of fortifying the Russian armed forces, asserting that enhancing military strength was still a top priority for Moscow.
