“Pro-government forces voted for Putin”
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin secured 63,75 percent of votes during the Sunday presidential elections in Russia, the Russian Central Election Commission (CEC) said on March 5.
CEC Chairman Vladimir Churov announced that according to preliminary election returns, Vladimir Putin has been elected Russian President in the first round, thereby ruling out the possibility of the second round.
The Communist leader, Gennady Zyuganov has polled 17.19 percent of the vote, Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov came in third with 7,84 percent, leader of the nationalist LDPR party Vladimir Zhirinovsky received 6,23 percent and A Just Russia party candidate Sergei Mironov trailed behind with 3,85 percent of the votes cast.
Yesterday evening, immediately after the elections, Vladimir Zhirinovsky and the other presidential candidates expressed their opinions on the electorate on the Russian state-run television.
According to the LDPR leader, the Russian electorate is divided into three groups. The first group he said voted for Putin. They are pro-government forces who always secure 30 percent of votes in all elections. The second group voted for Prokhorov. These are people who love money best of all in the world. And finally the third group, whom Zhirinovsky called loyal voters, voted for him.
"I have no money to offer my voters but I am a great patriot - characteristic that my contenders lack," said Mr Zhirinovsky.
