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Article: Putin assured of victory as Russia's president: ; Despite Communists strong showing, analysts predict an outright win
- Article from:
- Charleston Gazette
- Article date:
- March 27, 2000
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2000 Charleston Gazette. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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MOSCOW - Vladimir Putin won Russia's presidential election early
today after a surprisingly strong showing by the Communists
threatened to force him into a runoff vote. While Putin would have
almost certainly won a second round, it would have been a humbling
setback for the former KGB officer who has soared from nowhere to
become the nation's most popular politician in a few months. Putin's
call to strengthen the authority of the state and the security
forces worried some Russians, who fear the country's democratic
reforms could be rolled back.
With 93 percent of the vote from Sunday's election counted by
this morning, Putin had 52.4 percent of the vote, enough to ensure
victory and avoid ...