more news today violence is once again flared up. these are the images the world has been seeing from the streets of canada after. operations throughout the day. it's ten pm here in moscow we're bringing you our two special coverage across this presidential election live with kevin no i mean he's now a yes we got all the latest figures reactions and analysis of the country's main vote coming to you live tonight from the heart of the russian capital. but first the results but you know if we don't tell you in a minute actually they're not on the screen the instilled in people the last look

you see it was around two hundred sixty percent of the specs of the fire six fifty two in fact ok will go looks like a big victory for him in this election so far as closest rival is that coleman is part of the they can obviously got off was already craving the focus froogle appear it has some eighteen percent at least by the way. well the prime focus right now cabin the central election commission in moscow where the ballots are being counted throughout the night we can get some much more clear numbers there from our correspondent because having a great show but she now joins us live from right in the thick of it at the commission headquarters you catarina bring us up to date what are those figures looking at right now. below any some of my figures are not any different from what you are is sitting there almost twenty two percent of all ballots have been counted by these hour and the outspoken favorite current prime minister vladimir putin is leading with sixty two point three percent of the vote coming second is communist

denied his uganda seventeen point five percent of the vote close to eighteen but by the way he was also his party came second during the most recent nationwide state duma election under several to do with the communist party more than twenty two percent of the total vote what's new from the previous hour is that independent candidate billionaire me hope proper was definitely breaking through with no seven point one percent and these are how don't like the measure enough ski candidate from the liberal democratic party is now getting seven point. four percent of the vote and the last one on the list is a just russia party candidate six gave you know one of with three point seven percent i would so many observers morny touring these presidential election in russia we understand that it will take longer to both signatures and all final protocols to seal the final results old almost

a million watchdogs closely monitoring the selection seven hundred of them international observers so this election definitely goes down in history as the most closely money toward or if you want the most transparent one and by far the most expensive now equipping all almost ninety eight thousand polling stations across the country. almost doubled the initial post on the book and that was three hundred thirty million dollars at least correspond on a massive web can not work and so these day alone on the fourth of march the election day they filmed almost five years of video materials now that video was a way it was available on several hundred websites across the country so everyone sitting at home good morning tore the election process at polling stations in the countries nine times those now russia's most recent nationwide election the december for parliament free vote was married with accusations that there have been multiple violations and those accusations were behind the government's decision to

make this election as transparent as possible allowing as many observers in as possible also there had been a record number of volunteers signing up to mourn and tour the election process. catherine of those results of course that you brought us in terms of numbers may change because it's starting to look like a just find to vote in terms of a clear winner is and. yet is well a clear winner as of now is current prime minister vladimir putin and the result he is showing now is very close to the preliminary public opinion polls there he was getting some sixty percent of the vote and shortly before the election he said that he realized he was the by far the most favorite politician in the country although he acknowledged that he's less popular in the big cities like most and sent his birth the results of those cities haven't been analyzed yet we're going from the east parts of the country where ballots have been already counted westward so we

expect that the final results the most precise results will be available early on monday when the count is almost complete well judging by the experience of the previous state duma elections we only received the most final results by the evening of the next day and of course the may. the question in the air is whether it will keep that. quiet support of over sixty percent of the vote and if so there will be no second round if he doesn't get that magic figure of fifty percent of the votes needed to avoid the second round than the second round and the question in the air will be who would be running against him in the second round. all right right now of course it looks like there is not going to be a cycle around place in which that sixty two percent according to the central election commission headquarters there where you are thank you very much for that update we'll be joining you throughout the evening as we continue our live coverage

here on our city. because it's worth one of the. viewers from abroad in this or as well the old important march across is fifty percent or it goes to rome officers fall over that at the moment for both. so as you just read here the virgin currently leading the polish voting for food presidential term after being prime minister for four years dimitri medvedev has fallen through situation of putin's headquarters. leaving again what's being said when you are there at the moment too early for elation i guess yes a bit too early but the atmosphere is pretty light i have to say although at the moment if you can see right behind me there's a screen with a transmission of a campaign meeting they're discussing basically the whole world which has been done to make these elections transparent now how hard it was and the hard work that there is that they're facing a basically if hooten comes back as president for voice of. a serious take

a look more closely at what's of putin's campaign was about. to take you live here to see the two time presidents actually try minister the face lighted russia party. to recruit to two point. stability he secured after the chaotic e.l.c. years praised for overseeing a booming economy the establishing of russia's presence of the world stage play the presidency modernization fighting corruption maximizing russia's impact in international affairs controversy criticized for centralizing power in russia and staying at the helm to long. for personifying the problems positions and aspirations of modern russia. presidential election two thousand and twelve r.t. . so basically there was a bit of tension here

a bit of nervousness right before the preliminary results were announced to see whether a runoff was likely but now that more than twenty percent a bit more of the votes have been counted embodiment putin goes in at sixty two point three percent leading the race with a wide margin. his campaign colleagues are pretty much relaxed and they're confident that these numbers will remain the same can. be true we heard this same from more political respondents and commentator people about it but earlier on this election clearly standing out from others in previous years take us through why it's different for a number of reasons actually good turnout has been quite big preliminary figures i've got here around sixty three percent this is of course of the all the political agitation and increased political awareness that's happened over the past couple of months following the parliamentary election in december thousands of people have

participated in a series of rallies both for and against the government on one side demanding a change demanding reform on the other side of course demanding stability those who support troops and to avoid the base for an orange revolution and of course we have hundreds of thousands of observers working at polling stations and finally we've got these are web cameras which is a new experiment in russia installed in every polling station so basically every viewer can become an observer so i can hear you and i think that is what makes this election so different as to all the efforts which have been made in order to make this election as transparent as possible. all right to make sure that we take. campaign h.q. who are actually of course later in the program as the clock ticks towards getting the official result here it is now is coming up to exactly ten minutes past ten time i just want to take a moment to bring you up to date to what's happening here in. central moscow we've

been reporting in that sixty two percent that is preliminary results from the central election commission but already thousands the number we're hearing from officials is twenty five thousand people gathered on my new square which is behind us here just outside the kremlin already celebrating i understand we have some pictures that we can perhaps show you what is happening on me now is where live shot look at those thousands of people celebrated what should be i think it's ok for us to say the victory of prime minister vladimir putin's birth her term as president of russia i just take you through those results you can see on your screen there at the moment according to the central election commission there's a lot of counting still depend on him and continued sixty two point three percent. of people in some polls are saying that serve the public might not give him more than three percent of the vote for them oh he's doing better than i just want to point out lady mears you're not asking who is a veteran reality from the trunk of commerce secretary colin me get out if you can of the communist party always was predicts the come second but i just recycle as

you can see the moment seventeen point seven percent of the vote i'm sort of game would only have been a three point seven percent of the birds not the most charismatic politician a lot of people would say maybe that showing in the votes are the stacking up so far as over our shoulder there are thousands of people gathering in spanish square outside the beautiful natural history museum in front of the kremlin and the most diverse photo of this just researching the night it's snowing out there is but they've got in fact temperatures but about minus three degrees but it's not stop twenty four thousand i think turning out in this one valley thirty homes polluted valleys are also shared to be held from moscow as well mr x. returns and talk more about the candidate who really has been seen as the main challenger to late senior puts him in the presidential race this is of course not his first race for president commune. leader kim obviously gone of all art used to

remark say it affleck and quarters for us now joins us live with an update coming in sikat he said about eighty percent have there been any reaction from those from his headquarters to those numbers. and he said there has been reactions to throughout the evening in fact we've already had two press conferences coming from the leaders of the communist party the first conference came out just before the exit polls came out already one of the lawyers all the communist party as well as the head of the observers will be elections saying that they are not going to recognize these elections in fact millions of votes had been falsified and that they're looking into some of the voting a rigging that happened in certain parts of the country they had about three hundred thousand of servers watching these elections very closely and just earlier on we did hear from mr zyuganov himself and this is what he had to say. that.

this election was neither fair nor legitimate. fear elections you know fear dialogue between the power party and the opposition but the ruling party never took the state fair elections mean old heads of parties take part in that meets but vladimir putin never showed up. vera lection i mean the bureaucracy to provide equal opportunities for all the can build this case it was working in the interests of one. with. a saying that as you heard their story they said if you heard it he think that you know there was only one candidate who everybody was looking out for and in fact you said before that he's not a very charismatic man he's very misunderstood and a lot of experts have said that perhaps the communist party needs to kind of come into the twenty first century forget the also get union well wishes and come in and

modernize themselves were looking to was a new leader for this party and those exit polls shortly show that something needs to be done within this country to shake it up a little bit bring it back into the twenty first century. ok or two so to that the headquarters of the coldest party probably can are these are kind of fights about a bit of inspiration actually of the. floor to say much of this was about africa there are twenty five thousand people making their way here behind this is going to pay for it now some estimates say because there are two hundred first barricades looking over our shoulders very difficult to judge will vary from the people that. probably goes a little bit later in the program. but the coverage of russia's president has waned in the u.s. parts of the media happy to lash out at front runner vladimir putin the victor for that was not only by praise for opposition rallies let's cross now to our washington correspondent by nature to. my

understand well by now how is the election process being reported right now in d.c. and. must be us. the money sorry is kind of too early for official statements from this part of the world but as of now we can talk about the media coverage of the election going to hear a gala the prime minister of weekend will be russia's next president the time magazine describes the elections as the most exciting and contentious in a decade but before you actually even started the underlying message in the media here was that those who are going to be unfair are lections also the coverage is focused on the discontent with the leadership among many russians and here is a telling headline right here the beginning of the end. but inside the weekly you read about the surge of the middle class under putin who having first become consumers have now become citizens rights the author there's a great deal of critique here but then you come across a table which would make for

a pretty good resume for any presidential candidate g.d.p. per person in russia more than doubled in the last twelve years private housing almost doubled the number of cars tripled tourist travel abroad more than double the number if you're a net users increase almost five hundred times all in the last twelve years but again despite the part about russia's achievements under his rule journalists still focus on discontent in the society citing pollsters which they are around forty percent of russians don't trust prime minister putin on the other hand would need be strange if everybody were happy with the government but what's interesting in the latest polls i've seen forty one percent of americans strongly disapprove of president obama the word was strongly in those polls well back to the russia to life is so yes this content among the russians was difficult in losing popularity those are the things that the media are focusing on here many in vision mass protests again before the elections even started the underlying message here was

that those were going to be fair elections but also it seems one thing all media agree on is that politics is in fashion in russia and passionate that's the word i'm quoting one of the outlets here and that russians began to pay attention and to and show that they care. all right kate she can reporting live from washington with the u.s. perspective on these russian are actions. about thousands of people have flooded at moscow's main house where right behind us the place chosen by followers supporters really are prime minister lady mary bluett to show how they feel about him as the next president lots of us life guards jacob creatures are not men as square for us and now joins us jake up to date what's happening well but you're here on a balcony can't really see what's going on top of what's happening around you.

already told to victory you rally a base of those latest exit polls it could be just that now the crowds here expecting it and i hear it's from the prime minister in just a short targeted fashion the ground for higher premiums are thanking them for their show of support over the course of this presidential campaign so far now when it comes to winning and at least polling very well in this campaign last year based on one key message which is sold quite well with the crowds here and around the country that is most the business to see its own number of fact cars already in the crowd or more seriously means for the average russian is an increase when it comes to the minimum wage the boss to increase in pensions as well all of the promise of a free since political tenure he has of course association criticism he's needed to support perhaps more so than ever as he faced criticism from the protest movement

and a campaign seem to feel to not just moscow vice just muscovites in attendance here today is that from all over russia as well those in this crowd that is very very very far lost the respect spilling over is some aspects. wait them out they hope we get next person to russia. right r.c. sake of briefs live there from down on witness where it's said off hundred thousand people have gathered to show their support and really celebrate what looks like a victory for prime minister vladimir putin overheard for want to hear from washington just now of course what i'm gonna teach you can define our forward business people living and working in russia see the selection of us no took two plates a new school a set of finish ex-pats and vice president sophie said peter vine ferry company bikes are made for this mr cole good to see you tonight if you have a say about who will rule russia for the next six years we want you to voted for

tonight why interested you go for. mr stoller i'm not sure if you can you know i'd love to hear your thoughts going to think he can hear me mr stoller and simply just a skill you know it is more scope for me. of the wonders of modern technology we are going to get these thoughts no doubt a bit later in the program show you've got your thoughts about it as well and you can keep up to date with everything you see as well if you know your television see how they search on rap so this whole election a ruckus over the next twelve hours or so we should know the official results progs more of all even if they don't but as well in a website altie dot com is right let's not return to the election headquarters of the candidate who claims he can deliver bossa into a prosperous future at the billionaire cross-court of our correspondent sarah firth is there at. the ok we can join sarah at

pro quos headquarters right now we are going to try to get her in the line i just in the meanwhile we try to get sarah there let's talk about what's happening behind us thousands of people out of the city of louis going to come to shop. it's quite a spectacular see we want to proclaim you overlooking what's called the national square it's in the center of moscow here that's a camera showing the full shot you can see a lot of people coming out they disapprove hooted right leaves the biggest rally in the center tonight we're expecting president putin i gather her president getting suited there was research for this is the prince and what we're expecting him to come out later on. this thought so whether it'll become president in the in the coming hours of course just also to remind our viewers as well the person that does win tonight if it doesn't go to a runoff they don't take over mcgregor stakes as president until may of course

that's right that's when the inauguration will take place it will be another two months or so president has major event and it seems like a place in which it will take the helm again it will be his third term in office here is a great amount of popularity as we can see from these numbers but again this has been one of the most really historic russian elections because so many russians have gotten into it and are very active in russia's political life something that we really haven't seen in previous years some of the critics say that part of that stagnation is because the opposition has been the same opposition for so many years they're not scheming to garner even the run of really procrit is the only first time run there this time around in this times of like he's doing better than slightly or certainly also for the some of the polls earlier on up to this election some of the public was saying that maybe probably three percent would vote for him

old strings of the moment up to seventy five to seven point five percent. reproving but broke equally the votes at the moment put from putin sixty two point three percent of the people were suggesting it wouldn't get to sixty percent. let's go to the central election commission bring your such a date on those vote she's there all night this culture within a culturally groucho over over a year well pretty subdued all those photos of her interview. now twenty six percent of those had been counted we see the first results the first ballots have been counted the results are here on morning floors of the central election commission the outspoken leader of current prime minister vladimir putin is leading with sixty three point fifteen percent coming in second communist candidates to gone up with seventeen point three percent of the votes coming in already is a crock of an independent candidate billionaire with

a fortune estimated fortune or almost eighteen billion dollars he is new to politics he only announced he would be running for presidency several months ago so definitely that's a big success for him now surely very close to him is of lead to measure not candidate from the liberal democratic party he has seven point three percent of the vote and sort of came here on a candidate from a just russia party three point seven percent. election is the most closely morning toward want a record number of watchdogs almost and median across the country including seven hundred international observers now i'm joined by one of them join barry a man teacher of international relations at the university of london and that's the first presidential election he's been closely monitoring today i hope and how did you find it. i should say first on a group of with a group of fifty. system

a very good group from many different countries italy austria poland. and members of parliament and we visited in the morning to all the stations and the polling stations overall i think our observations were unanimous there was no evidence of any.

that's. something change over time slips on the last cell xander thanks for coming on this rather chilly night to our sage high above. where the

national square is he's going to see you know you plug in predicted huge interest so you think it's going to be poor the back in two thousand and four when he goes seventy one percent of the vote the time which is also what would let it go four years ago wasn't a difference in your phone constantly going with he was going to receive fifty three mpg mostly because it was more likely. to be stimulus. missions during the last four years to replace the financial crises and situation got more difficult for many people many russian to many voters but at the moment i guess that it was more easy to predict that you would receive less votes of course to be done for sixty five nor seventy one but sixty two officer he's up to sixty three point six so he says kind of proving your theory in all that sorry son is ten person place but the seventy one but it's so it's so it's a very good record because i think you made a very good campaign such as think it will go up or down to here is and i continue to post votes continue to come in i think it will more likely be around sixty two

sixty three sixty four maybe my kind of it's interesting you say you think you made a very good campaign has been really criticized his campaign not taking part in the debates a lot of criticism especially from outside of russia why do you think his campaign was so successful i think it was very successful because when during the bottom of the ocean so for those actions were united russia lost the vote the force of the street for being taken in by your position demonstrates or so everybody was like sleeping where he's. from is what you're doing and finally two very big meetings overture of the cupertino so finally he assembled you could see you could say that you took this trip back to him so i see him go this way you made a very good campaign because he was a pretty you wrote them many articles seven i guess for very interesting and very a sober house showing that so you. more or less understood what was going on in the country. a lot of the vote a lot of people have voted for putin snowden could be seen just as protest votes.

do you think what you think is going to happen if putin does get in if he is declared president at the end of almost those protests most are gone and i think that's we will have in the next month is the go to more demonstrations in the streets. maybe tomorrow will be the bigger one and then what i think it will finally disappeared because the people are going to demonstrate to many monsters but the majority. of the people in russia of more morally support but you know maybe not for the revolution so i see if it can lead anywhere but still clearly has lost a certain amount of popularity was told our first party in parliamentary elections and certainly. a big drop in votes for president as well but then you have all these people who really are facing the question of if not couldn't then who lets the opposition is there any other option for russians who do believe that putin is the answer pressing that so very good question of first order would be true.