Russians went to the polls in a presidential election Sunday that is all but certain to grant President Vladimir Putin a further six years in office, but that has been condemned as undemocratic in a country where the Kremlin has tightened its grip on civil society.
Mr. Putin’s dominance over Russia’s political scene after two decades in power left little doubt over the outcome of the contest, in which Mr. Putin faces a handful of little-known candidates.
Under Mr. Putin, the Kremlin has consolidated its control over the media and sidelined political opponents, including opposition activist Alexei Navalny, who in recent years has brought tens of thousands to the streets to protest high-level corruption. Mr. Navalny was barred from running because of a criminal conviction that he calls politically motivated. He has called on his supporters to boycott the election.
At the same time, Mr Putin's approval rating which topped 80% before the vote, has surged along with the huge rise in living standards many Russians have enjoyed in the past 20 years.
