Russian Elections Final Tally: Putin Keeps Majority in Duma

Activists of the pro-Kremlin youth movement Nashi (Ours) celebrate the victory of the ruling party `United Russia` in the parliamentary election in Moscow, 05 December 2011. EPA/BGNES

The pro-Kremlin United Russia party of Russian leader Vladimir Putin has kept its absolute majority in the lower house of the Parliament, the Duma, after Sunday's parliamentary elections, even though it has lost some seats.

Putin's United Russia has won 238 of 450 seats during elections to the State Duma, marking a significant drop compared to 315 seats after 2007's elections, the Russian Central Election Committee said on Monday, as cited by RIA Novosti.

With votes from about 95% of polling stations counted, the ruling United Russia party is now slightly below the 50-percent mark with 49.67%, described as "a far cry" from the commanding two-thirds constitutional majority the party held in the State Duma for the past four years, according to the official count.

Other parties which crossed the entry barrier will receive more seats than in 2007. The Russian Communist Party (KPRF) came in second, taking 92 seats (compared to 57 seats in 2007); the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) of ultranationalist Vladimir Zhirinovski scored 56 seats, increasing its presence by 16 seats.

The Just Russia party will have 64 deputies in the State Duma, 26 more than it won in the previous parliamentary elections.

The pro-Kremlin United Russia party took 46.5% of the votes in Moscow, after counting 97.2% of the ballots, which means it is still the single largest party.

The results of the polls have already sparked a wave of strong criticism from the Internet users citing massive fraud and violations.

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