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| Medvedev set to win Russia poll | |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Vladimir Putin's chosen successor, Dmitry Medvedev, is set to win Russia's presidential election by a wide margin, exit polls indicate. | Vladimir Putin's chosen successor, Dmitry Medvedev, is set to win Russia's presidential election by a wide margin, exit polls indicate. |
| The state-owned pollster VTsIOM gave Mr Medvedev 69.6% of the vote. | |
| His nearest rival was Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov, on nearly 20%. He vowed to go to court over alleged fraud, Itar-Tass news agency reports. | |
| Mr Medvedev, a first deputy PM, was the clear favourite from the start and enjoyed generous television coverage. | Mr Medvedev, a first deputy PM, was the clear favourite from the start and enjoyed generous television coverage. |
| His other rivals in the race were nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky and little-known outsider Andrei Bogdanov. | His other rivals in the race were nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky and little-known outsider Andrei Bogdanov. |
| Allegations | Allegations |
| Mr Putin, who has been in office for eight years, was barred by the constitution from seeking a third term, but has pledged to serve as Mr Medvedev's prime minister. | Mr Putin, who has been in office for eight years, was barred by the constitution from seeking a third term, but has pledged to serve as Mr Medvedev's prime minister. |
| Turnout was high, at nearly 60%, officials said. But there were reports that many workers were told by their bosses to vote. | Turnout was high, at nearly 60%, officials said. But there were reports that many workers were told by their bosses to vote. |
| Various inducements were also offered to mobilise voters, including cheap food, free cinema tickets or toys, correspondents say. | Various inducements were also offered to mobilise voters, including cheap food, free cinema tickets or toys, correspondents say. |
| After polls closed Mr Zyuganov said there had been widespread irregularities. | |
| "We will go to court over this," Itar-Tass quoted him as saying. | |
| The Kremlin has dismissed claims of fraud. | |
| There has been very little scrutiny of voting by Western election observers, many of whom stayed away. | There has been very little scrutiny of voting by Western election observers, many of whom stayed away. |
| The main independent Russian observer group, Golos, said the turnout was impossibly high in some regions. |