Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin took a victory lap on Sunday as initial results show him winning 87.8% of the votes in the country’s presidential election.
Putin is set to become the country’s longest serving leader since the 1700s at the end of his new six-year term set to run out in 2030.
Critics have called the election process a sham, alleging voter suppression and intimidation but Mr. Putin appear undeterred even commenting on the recent death of one of his staunchest rivals – Aleksei Navalny – calling it an “unfortunate incident”.
This year’s share of the vote for Vladmir Putin is 10% higher than the last election, in what Russian observers say may be signs the Russian leader is more emboldened than ever.
