Putin satisfied with election result

Russia's prime minister Vladimir Putin has declared himself satisfied with the performance of his party in parliamentary elections even though it lost a significant number of seats.

He added that a drop in support was "inevitable" for any ruling party. The statement came as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton again criticised the election.

United Russia won about 50% of Sunday's vote, a result that opposition politicians and election monitors said was inflated because of ballot-box stuffing and other vote fraud.

It was a significant drop from the 2007 election when the party took 64%, gaining a two-thirds majority that allowed it to change the constitution. But Mr Putin said the party had retained a "stable" majority.

"Yes, there were losses, but they were inevitable," he said. "They are inevitable for any political force, particularly for the one which has been carrying the burden of responsibility for the situation in the country."

The results reflected public fatigue with Mr Putin's authoritarian streak and widespread official corruption, signalling that his return to the presidency in next March's election may not be as trouble-free as he expected.

Public anger against a heavy-handed state interference in the campaign in support of United Russia and evidence of vote fraud prompted thousands of protesters to march across downtown Moscow late Monday, chanting "Russia without Putin!"

Police detained about 300 protesters in Moscow and 120 participants in a similar rally in St Petersburg.

Security forces beefed up their presence across the capital Tuesday in an apparent anticipation of more protests.

Mrs Clinton criticised the Russian vote for a second straight day, saying in Lithuania that "Russian voters deserve a full investigation of electoral fraud and manipulation."

Russian officials have denied any significant vote violations.