Vladimir Putin wins Russian presidential election over 73 percent of the votes

Russian President Vladimir Putin has won a landslide re-election victory for a fourth term of office after securing 73.9 percent of the votes.

President Putin had been predicted to win the election, which he contested along with seven other candidates. However, opposition leader Alexei Navalny was barred from running.

Reuters reported Russia’s Central Election Commission recognized there were some irregularities, but not enough to make the overall results illegitimate. Putin loyalists said the result was a vindication of his tough stance towards the West.

“I think that in the United States and Britain they’ve understood they cannot influence our elections,” Igor Morozov, a member of the upper house of parliament,” said on state television. “Our citizens understand what sort of situation Russian finds itself in today.”

Putin is expected to be in office for another six years, which ends in 2024 and when he would be 71.