Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Sunday secured a record third term in the Kremlin after recording a landslide victory over his four rivals at presidential polls amid allegations of rigging and fraud. “We won in an open and honest fight!” a jubilant Putin, flanked by outgoing President Dmitry Medvedev, told a crowd of tens of thousands of supporters at a rally in downtown Moscow. With 30 per cent of the votes counted at 19:00 GMT, Putin was leading by a landslide, with 63.4 per cent. “We urge everyone to unite around the interests of Russia,” Putin was quoted as saying by the Russian news agency Ria Novosti. “I told you we would win and we won!” he said, his voice cracking with emotion and his eyes moist. Russian observers and opposition leaders have alleged widespread violations in polls by supporters of Putin.
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