hello and a very good evening to you thanks for joining us my name's kevin home with me tonight in this now we're broadcasting live as of course those votes occurrence it's night here here russian presidential election we just saw a couple of minutes ago. prime minister but even putin this is the moment and president but if take a stand it a huge rally over our shoulders there in my neck square i'm sure we can bring you some of shots of that now he continues two hundred thousand people out there tonight covered gathered according to the estimates anyway there was

a rousing reception when they took to the stage a couple of minutes ago. president but it spoke first of all introduce prime minister polluted with the warmth of the case you would expect him to giving you his full parking and this is these are the shots just that we saw a couple of minutes ago and then of course president putin. keeps saying that prime minister putin had plenty to say as well but the most striking thing we noticed he for a moment at least seemed to lose his composure and tears run down his face it's something you really don't he's criticized often for being somewhat non-emotional really and very serious in his ways tonight we saw the exact hockey stick thanks i seen it speaking about how they won she won in a free and fair fight that russia would no way allow any kind of interference in its internal politics really a tone that we haven't heard from played the american before he thanks

a cheering crowd a crowd of we're hearing official numbers at one hundred thousand or so telling him he promised them a win and that he succeeded well a huge cheer went up of course when he said don't we also all russians to up. it's a valuable and it was well well the vote count continues at the central election commission in moscow of course look rather official figures until or good what should be some of the whole new areas because books can be good as well from abroad as well though to get people hurt their chances to vote a lot of russians living abroad as well the other places folks we've got at the moment sixty three point six percent to seven point two percent we called croaker off more on off polling just three point seven percent of the moment you know it is a kind of seventeen point two. seven point one percent but let's get those very latest figures and go to a contradictory she said the central election commission. i guess those biggest

knocking are pretty similar with you as well you might be out a minute or two ahead of us though of course. oh peter is that pretty much what you what you just search very precise almost thirty four percent of all the ballots have been counted and what you said by mistake president vladimir putin could very soon be the case as he is leading now with sixty three point five percent of the votes coming second is communist denied his uganda with seventeen point three percent the main intrigue is around a third place now mihail crocker of. morgul and billionaire is sharing this third place with. his only twenty thousand votes ahead of the liberal democratic party candidate he has seven point twenty four percent of the vote but a measure and has a slightly more than seven percent and the last one on the list is made on of candidate just russia party here three point seven percent of the vote and that figure hasn't changed much since the first results were announced now more than two

hours ago when i was almost a million watchdogs closely monitoring the vote seven hundred of them international observers based presidential election definitely goes down in russia's history as the most transparent and the most expensive one as well over three hundred thirty million dollars was spent on a massive. camera system installed across the country and c.c.t.v. almost doubled the initial cost of the vote they were installed at all ninety eight thousand polling stations across the country and on the use election day on the single day almost five years of video were recorded and food which was available on hundreds of websites across the country so people on all in all nine time zones of the country could closely monitor what was going on not on their polling stations where they are but also from different regions of russia now also

was near the selection is that all ballot boxes were transparent. there was a record number of international service again a record number of bowl volunteers who had signed up who wanted to work the boat and to report any possible violations there was also a system called altered geo working parallel to be official city system and if your application your tablets were your telephone have the software on it you could also closely monitor what was going on post pictures and they say that would be analyzed and will be an independent report. by these this time around this definitely is the most closely monitored or nationwide. of course these numbers might change here and there throughout the night in the next week but how decisive are the results that we're seeing command now or. will

they might change indeed any says. as more than slightly more than a third of the total number of ballots are being analyzed but it doesn't look likely that they'll be a second round we could see that now with a dimmer pushing getting almost sixty four percent of the vote would know that if he gets that magic number figure of fifty percent there will be no second round before the question in the air was if there really is a second round who would be than running against him and that. dinner putin shortly before the vote acknowledged that he was the most popular politician by far the most favored one in russia or the most influential man in russia into nation wide public opinion polls he's also according to his corpse. the world's second most influential after iraq obama though he acknowledged shortly before the vote that he's not that bridge with voters in the big cities like moscow and so it

is for where opposition is really is mostly took place in those two cities these outcome what we are seeing now sixty four percent is very close to the top you continue all which was released shortly before people weren't calling stations on sunday so it looks very likely that the speaker wants seriously change and there we won't be talking about a second round. all right catalina great job a live from the central election commission headquarters of course we'll be joining you throughout the night here on r.g.p. as we continue our special coverage was a very chilly night tonight temperatures well below freezing it's no it doesn't stop people coming out in the two hundred thousand they think they are in this and others around the city as well up to thirteen. were sanctioned for tonight those who are pushing currently has the majority of votes you can single you screens for the past couple of hours he spoke the past four years is probably history of course after serving two presidential term escape true things are out his company brought

it to victory because they're pretty use of they perceive it to be true either. my first question is really what's the atmosphere there like what i wonder what the reaction was when to the stage where about fifteen minutes ago in the national square behind this along with president with and it was quite astonishing to see that call this thing from a clinton for what appeared to be tears but he turned his face just the atmosphere of the past hour i'd say has been all about celebration and. champagne glasses and handshakes but people really did gather here that screen behind me where there was a light transmission of me to my bed taking to the stage at square and it seems people were very touched by by vladimir putin's appearance and the tears coming from his eyes and what he had to say and let's actually listen to what hootenanny prime minister and the president dmitry medvedev had to say. the

least you know what this was more than just a presidential election yes this was a very important test for us. for all of our people yes this was a test. and independent enough and we have demonstrated. that you don't need to when you move nobody can. anything on us nobody can impose anything we have demonstrated that are you are capable. committed to one thing from another you and cyrix that you've got put it maturely to you from political probably completion and the chris you only want gold to destroy. russia as a nation and yours are powerless. to do like the people of russia have demonstrated in the idea that no such option is sexton areas will not achieve success you know our country will be begin to see what to do with one. years but the

best support the best majority of our bows we have achieved a clear victory over our body just let you know what will work with honestly and hard and we will achieve success and we encourage you all in periods of not to know that unite around the interests of our nation and our homeland i have promised you that we will win. here and we have one. right here glory to russia but you must know that my guess is the way in the philippines thank you for being here with us thank you for supporting our candidate lenoir putin not asking you that our candidate he's leading in the election. and i feel confident that we will win and this victory will. see him and we all need it very much. our country

needs it. each one of us each this victory and we never give it away not give it away to anybody. so really in the heat of lighting a person's colleagues who have been working with him in this election campaign were really touched and happy to hear. and speak at this stage of mine yes in a square they were very touched by his emotion. reaction and it seems that despite the fact that just around thirty five percent of the votes we have to remember have just been counted and sixty three and a half percent that he's running with right now makes them confident that he will be victorious in the first round. dimitry are. stressing once again that it was a fair election you look at the figures here for the hundred nine million nine hundred

forty seven thousand eligible people to vote on total eight million a very broad ninety four thousand polling stations three hundred eighty four polling stations abroad even a nine hundred forty seven countries a huge logistical task to make sure that that vote is fair is transparent the authorities say they did it how did they do it well it took a lot of effort to do that indeed what we have seen is a turnout of one sixty sixty three percent as my pick is read here and that's a i think that's a record breaking for presidential elections here in russia and in the we've had tens of thousands of report of eighty nine thousand observers working at more than seven thousand polling stations across russia have cameras were of course installed in every polling station that was quite an impressive amount of money was spent on that for me make sure that this election is transparent to avoid the controversy

which was which we saw right after the parliamentary elections when thousands of people took to the streets worrying that. the problem entry election was full of fraud and of course we've heard of several rallies from both sides before bruce and against groups in the past couple of months which has made the political situation very active and political awareness has gone up a lot so the past couple of months. and art seems to me to meet with danko reporting by from clinton's campaign headquarters there more updates of course coming from you throughout the evening now i've been struck statements already about where this election is heading mainly from the man who has made coming second in the presidential race something of a tradition really over the years that's communist leader gennady zyuganov artists about is actually his campaign headquarters now joins us live with an update tell us what zyuganov has had to say about these results coming in.

well he was not happy i mean there's such a major disappointment around the camp right now in fact everybody is leaving they just say you know they didn't expect the results to be like this they had a mandate that they were going for and it's just not worked out the way they wanted it to work out in fact mrs gone over even saying that you know this election was just towards one person it was for the now with mr putin and he has left the building right now and i've been walking around you know trying to talk to members of either party asking them you know what could they have done differently to get different results and one of them said to me you know it's almost like being the bridesmaid and never been bright the other thing you never been the bride the other thing is that they've said that you know they need to go back to the drawing room and look at how they can make a few changes within the party itself and see you know if they can put in some new blood a lot of the lecture it voters for this party are pensioners who are still holding

on to the old soviet union philosophies and you know if they're going to be drawing in new blood perhaps a leadership need to change that's just one of the other things that one of the members said to us he also said that you know the new this is this is an it's great change for the country but also we need to remember that we are moving into different a worlds we need to be able to take care of the people poverty line is be is very low you need to take care of those people i also also why didn't they capitalize on the leftist movement that's going around in europe in terms of pay amended they are empty capitalism there and so on attrition while they use that as part of a campaign strategy and they said to us we didn't have enough coverage in the lead here and in fact you know a lot of a lot of our knowledge we didn't want to cover the global economic crisis we did want to offer solutions to that but it just wasn't good and it wasn't just it wasn't great enough to be out there so the people can hear it so very great disappointment here from the camp and we'll see how it goes we'll see how the

evening goes back to you gay. all right the banks i live what seems like a very disappointed headquarters of the communist party and their candidate gennady zyuganov who did much worse than it seems he expected in this for. some more help to come maybe he would be called. he's the heir of course made this money from the very brief time made his bark on the electoral map of russia pretty subsidiary from bourbon sarah first she's joining us live sarah from the polls so we're all about how people may or may not vote to take it with. only a mother wrote about three percent of the screens now the latest we've got is seven point two percent this moment i guess take some comfort in the road for approaching night although it's really a with a pleasant surprise actually it is being in this day for the state that many people

would expect of course a couple of world always an eye catching candidate seems to be an excellent state if anyone in the presidential race is on this independence day we have apart from this night waiting for him to speak a little bit less well as you said incredibly wealthy one of the brushes wealthiest and very successful businessman that's not hosting a playboy than the politician but it does seem by they think is perhaps the yes he has managed to make some impact in the transition and that people talk to us about this third term playboy thing politician the former head of. it's called the media chief of the t.v. needs us aid by me. as a media manager in these kind of polls he's very good at taking stuff here can you see what is it possible that you think twice this week the fates will be taken from him. because he's very young. in comparison to others i don't mean only his

age. he is the symbol is the new the new russia in some vision to be absolutely new and fresh in comparison to the soviet union. of other candidates. and put in as well and so they are from the old stylish summit elite. and. they're not you know any more leaders of the younger generation michael for us is to make. a few some vicious he's cold he's steve has a lot of interest in sports and everywhere and i think this is the new russia we all dream about. there being some criticism for his actual policies certainly the start of the campaign for a little bit hey do you think people are actually baiting him at because they

support him and his policies or is he getting antsy created by which. i think the moves can be in the arms hands we have very strong candidate michael moore your thoughts on the other hand we care not democracy is not enough to make great rules and people really choose their fortunately just to say no for who do. they vote for anybody to be crossed more than who to. including proffer of i think some of them were voting for the gun of. the greatest joining us and we had spent a couple called the year the evening he did say that if he didn't win tonight he was he holding a political party savvy political plans in the beach it seems we'll be bringing you all the latest later let me thank. you sir for friendship much courage to try to pass a level no moscow time those votes to control. to be counted of course throughout

the night if you just joined us here at r.t. our coverage continues the latest on the screen right now or let you read them for yourself the presidential campaign in the u.s. so parts of the media. the praise for opposition rallies let's cross to a washington correspondent. how does the election process big reports tonight where you are. kavin nobody here doubts that prime minister putin will be russia's next president the time magazine describes the elections as the most exciting and contentious in a decade but before the elections even started the underlying message in the media there here was that those were going to be unfair all actions most of the coverage is focused on the discontent with the leadership among many russians and here is

telling headline the beginning of the end of putin but inside the weekly europe 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 call of years private housing almost doubled the numbers of cars triple tourist travel abroad more than doubled the number of internet users increase almost five hundred times all in the last twelve years but i did this type of part about russia's achievements under his rule journalists still focus on discontent in the society citing poll service which say around forty percent of russians don't trust prime minister putin on the other hand it would be strange if everybody the country were happy with the coverage what's

interesting is the latest polls i've seen forty one percent of americans strongly disapprove of president obama and the word was strongly disapprove so back to the elections in russia yes this content among the russians was the new two thousand losing popularity those are the sales that the media are focusing on here many invision mass protests again before the elections even started the underlying message here was that those were going to be on very large has but also it seems one thing all media agree on is that politics is big is in fashion in russia and the word impression that's the i'm quoting one of the outlets here and that russians began to pay attention and show that they care. guys guys that you can thanks for bringing us the view stateside there live from washington d.c. tonight let's get more international reaction from u.s. based antiwar activist don de bar he's joining us live via broadband from new york

thanks for being with us. just repeatedly slammed foreign powers accusing them of meddling in russian affairs in fact you mentioned it a bit and what seemed to be his impromptu victory speech here at red square how much of an impact do you think that's had on the run up to and during this alack said his views and the way he speaks about the left but i think first of all that the action that russia so i mean a lot of people have the perspective that it's prudent and so the way russia handled the syrian crisis thus far as opposed to the more tepid role that it played in the libyan crisis i think it's reflected in the vote both with putin scoring about five percent more than even the official polls thought he would have but looking particularly a juror no skis numbers i think that that the decline in his numbers didn't only go to procure what but i think went to united russia because of the stand that's been

taken in international affairs generally sending the fleet to tartus in syria he vetoes at the security council rather the declaration that if the united states deploys the missile quote unquote the fences them that it will be met aggressively these things i think you know a strong independent foreign policy at least the trappings of that have drawn support from the people of russia and i think to be expansive for example nationalist led sure no ski. since probably sit today from russia's military even returns to the kremlin to cancel what he called it a rise in local and regional conflicts old history to fight foreign powers around russia's borders i worry should washington be about that well clearly russia has been a boo boo for the united states since before world war two and yet never an actual threat never made an aggressive move out so that you could maybe say the cuban

missile crisis which was really nothing but symmetry for missiles in turkey and in circling the u.s.s.r. but i don't think that this means that the united states has anything to fear unless its intent is to attack russia russia definitely needs to have a modern defense what's happening in what's happening all over the place right now but what's happened in libya was trying to happen in syria with trying to happen in iran with the united states demonstrates that the u.s. has a very aggressive and militaristic foreign policy if russia is not up to defending itself against that at some point it's mineral economic human capital wealth are all going to be to attractive to resist to the united states so i think it's you know it's a necessary move from the russian self-interest point of view. all right santa barbara joining us live via broadband from new york thank you very much for your analysis this hour from so far away are on this election night here in

russia but we've got plenty of people to talk to over the coming hours of course and some resume watching tonight very closely. because you know phone service so much for being with us now we know that you're going to demonstrators you're also works for t.v. rain and rain radio stations all across the journalist as well right first of all your thoughts about what you're seeing tonight we're seeing the votes on the screen . all of us could read them for themselves did you expect to live in reputed to come in so far at least sixty three point five percent you know the we have a saying the whole guy's lost but when it dies it's really sad unfortunately i was expecting it i was always like like an optimist i was always expecting that good and it's not that tragic day for the country but certainly is said today i am sure that most of the viewers of your channel. watching us right now all over the world are not very happy with this result because this is a result that shows us clearly that he did months for simple needs

is by far more but wins over the demands of the freedom of speech of the freedom of the country of the fresh air and of of generally justice because unfortunately we're living in a world where for the over ten years we're creating by the person. to create the system where he incredibly were he he grows his profits out of the national googs and unfortunately nobody not very many people realizes that this is this is his politics ok we've only got a minute or two for a charge because we're going to lump all right to go to see what you can. next protesters was the next day already and i think i think i think first of all the past month showed that there's civilized society with

a lot of needs can go somewhere and it can grow and in and of law kill the law kill you somewhere somewhere out there begin hero demands so certainly stronger when we have the politician come forward to head your group you thousands of people came onto the streets in the cities why you want to be grouped together to come up with a boy or position it didn't seem to be there well the only thing that lab this position lacked was that one one solid lead and that is the glass is least that's a big bed set but that's unfortunately there were so many good people and none of them would take responsibility and so here i thought it was time i really just briefly want to touch on something very important we're already expecting process tomorrow they were announced before the result is not a little bit of a rush and you guys protesters really have had an effect on society why so early planned protest before waiting for the end of the most obviously that result didn't

come as a surprise and obviously most of the people share the same singing of the great russian classic that no revolution is worth of a troubled child steered you know one single tree or a child. i hope there will not be blood on the streets but obviously we don't agree with this result and we we hold their destiny of this country's not on them in the hands of the guy that won the election unfortunately we're in my own minority but my all was my my my my good ideas believe point value that opposition is my own you have minded people don't talk about that of course of course and someone or you but you have to consider every minority and this is the only way to democratic country all those you sitting on the screens this is the way the public has posted so far tonight according to the central election commission coming in top of the poll is sixty three point five percent latino political proper of seven point two.