Putin pledges continued stability

Newly-elected President Vladimir Putin today promised Russians a continuation of the stability and order that helped him win a landslide victory, and pledged to open up the political stage to divergent voices after a campaign criticised as unfair and one-sided.

With 99.2% of precincts reporting from yesterday’s election, Putin sailed into a second four-year term with 71.2% of the vote, and Central Election Commission chief Alexander Veshnyakov declared him the winner.