Medvedev Wins in a Landslide

On par with expectations, Dmitry Medvedev has won Russia’s presidential election with 69.6% of the vote, an exit poll says. His closest rival took just 17.2%. The victory likely means little change for Russia, as Medvedev has asked current president Vladimir Putin to be his prime minister after Putin leaves office in May, Reuters reports.

Russians see Medvedev, a Putin disciple, as the best way to maintain the country’s current economic boom. But some observers raised questions about the fairness of the one-sided election. “This is a KGB operation to transfer power from one person to another,” said a former premier. Medvedev's rival threatened legal action over irregularities, but did not challenge Medvedev’s victory. (More Russian elections stories.)