By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : Admitting that irregularities had taken place at March 4 polls that secured his election as president, Vladimir Putin has called for a probe.
“There were, of course, violations,” Putin said. “We need to identify them all, weed them out and make everything clear to everyone.”
Putin was elected for a third term at Sunday’s elections with just under 64 percent of the vote. His nearest rival, Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov, took just under 18 percent.
Zyuganov and leaders of ongoing anti-Putin protests refused to recognise the polls as legitimate, citing widespread allegations of ballot-stuffing and multiple voting.
The Organisation of Security and Co-operation in Europe said in a report that the election was “clearly skewed” in favour of Putin.
“I’m counting on maximum control and monitoring of the situation,” Putin told lawyers at a Moscow forum.
Putin obtained 63.75 percent of the votes and Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov 17.19 percent. Independent candidate Mikhail Prokhorov came in third with 7.82 percent.