RFE/RL

@Balmforthtom reports: It doesn’t get much more blatant than a group of men and women stuffing a ballot box live on camera. 

But that is exactly what happened in Russia’s North Caucasus republic of Daghestan thanks to web cameras positioned in polling stations across the country that were streamed online during presidential elections on March 4.

As word spread via a YouTube video and other social media, the Central Election Commission was forced to annull all results from the polling station in the town of Tarumovka…[READ MORE]

“[Putin’s] victory is convincing. One can debate specific percentages, but I have no doubt whatsoever that Vladimir Putin won the first round and that the majority of Russian citizens voted for him.”

@PowerVertical’s Brian Whitmore spoke to veteran Russia-watcher Edward Lucas: ”I think it is going to be messy. The opposition is too weak to win. I don’t think [the authorities] have the capabilities to do a real crackdown…[READ MORE]

Via @vesti_vews: Prokhorov at a news conference in Moscow: ”If anybody thinks that the election has ended on March 4, they are very much mistaken. It is just beginning, because those people who vote for me are exactly that future ruling class that will assume responsibility for what is happening in our country.”

Russian presidential candidate Mikhail Prokhorov speaking today (March 4) at a news conference in Moscow.

Watch @SvobodaRadio’s live stream from the streets of Moscow & from studio in Moscow. 

“Candidate Vladimir Putin has 61.81 percent.” Russian Election Commission Chairman Vladimir Churov announcing the preliminary results of the presidential election at a news conference in Moscow after 14.5 percent of the ballots have been processed.