Putin wins presidential election with 64% of votes

MOSCOW - Russian presidential candidate and incumbent Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has won 63.6 percent of the votes after all ballots were counted, the Russian Central Election Commission (CEC) reported on Monday.

According to the latest figures from the CEC, Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov took the second with 17.18 percent of the votes, while independent billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov secured 7.98 percent.

The photo taken on March 5, 2012 shows the preliminary results of Russia's presidential election on the screen in the hall of the Russian Election Commission (CEC) in Moscow, Russia. Russian presidential candidate and incumbent Prime Minister Vladimir Putin won Russia's presidential election with about 64 percent of the votes, the CEC officially announced Monday. [Photo/Agencies]

About 6.22 percent of the votes went to Liberal Democratic leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky and 3.85 percent for A Just Russia leader Sergei Mironov.

The CEC announced on Monday morning the preliminary results of the election after 99.3 percent of the ballots had been counted.

CEC Chairman Vladimir Churov announced the election valid, adding that the final results would be officially announced within 10 days after the election day.

Before the preliminary results were announced, Putin, not known for putting his emotions on public display, declared his victory Sunday night with tears on his cheeks, after exit poll results showed he would win 58.3 percent of the votes.

Zhirinovsky and Mironov have called Putin early Monday to congratulate him on the victory, while Zyuganov and Prokhorov have claimed the election was "unfair."

Head of Russia's Central Election Commission Vladimir Churov shows a statistic as he announces the preliminary results of the presidential election in Moscow, March 5, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]