Russian League Of Voters Condemns Election As 'Insult'

Russian President-elect Vladimir Putin

MOSCOW -- The Russian League of Voters, which unites celebrities and activists against the leadership of Vladimir Putin, has condemned the March 4 presidential election as an "insult to civil society."

In a statement, the league said it was "impossible to recognize the results of the presidential elections, due to widespread violations."

In the vote, Putin, the outgoing prime minister, secured an unprecedented third presidential term, winning nearly 64 percent, according to official results.

The vote was earlier this week condemned by Western monitors as unfair because the process was skewed by authorities in favor of Putin and there was no genuine competition.

The Moscow City Election Commission has approved results showing that Putin won less than half of the vote -- nearly 47 percent -- in the Russian capital.

With ITAR-TASS, AFP, and Interfax reporting