Russia formalised Thursday President Vladimir Putin’s victory in last week’s presidential election, dismissing scathing criticism by the West and independent Russian observers that it was the most corrupt vote in post-Soviet history.The three-day vote last weekend saw Putin cruise to an easy victory for a fifth Kremlin term, unchallenged by any meaningful opposition.The election was also held in occupied Ukraine and voting took place two years into Moscow’s offensive.Russia’s electoral chief Ella Pamfilova said final results showed Putin won 87.28 percent of the vote.She called the election — which sees Putin’s 24-year rule extended by another six years — “historic.”Pamfilova said turnout was 77.49 percent.The Kremlin had encouraged Russians to vote out of patriotic duty, despite Putin’s win being inevitable.The Russian leader thanked Russians for their “support” in an address on Thursday after the final results were published.Pamfilova claimed a “very clean” election campaign and brushed off Western criticism.”This is not the first time we have heard this,” she said.Putin crushed three other hand-picked opponents, who each received tiny percentages of the vote.
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