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 drawin

other candidates are they lived in a liberal democrat but initially lawsky the communist leader gennady zyuganov russian tycoon mikhail gorbachev well something of a dark horse in this election and also player part player russia party leader sygate you know the so definitely interesting vote and we'll see how it unfolds and of course a lot has been done to make the most transparent to date hasn't it. certainly it's all the stake it's the first time russia is voting for a president who will sort of a six year term and the run up to the election as i said has been very turbulent many demanding fair elections to be held so this particular vote has all the indication to become russia's most transparent election since it since the collapse of the soviet union and we understand that lots of observers both russian and international are here to want to sell the election as well as web cameras which have been installed at every single polling stations across our huge country and this cost almost half a billion u.s. dollars. installing these weapons or as my colleague he's going to show we did a story to

in the lead with around sixty four percent of the vote is rival the communist parties that gennady zyuganov a little over seventeen percent to other contenders. and. have accepted their defeat despite opposition claims of violations sunday's election is said to be the most transparent in russia's history. for me but we will be bringing you as a team in the hours ahead as our special coverage of russia's presidential election continues earlier our interview show spotlight discussed the vote that's coming up next right here on r.t. . hello again and welcome troops talking about the into the shall as part of al green albums today we're talking about the presidential election in russia so this is it the voting is over and just moments ago i've heard the latest on the preliminary results of this election was a very special it's the first time after a constitutional reform that russians elected a president for six years instead of moreover it's been the most expensive but the most transparent voting as anyone can watch it online so all that very special election to cover while still in russian po

impressive forty five million people voting for him his closest rival the communist party leader gennady zyuganov stands at seventeen point nineteen percent that is around twelve million people voting for to go out of twenty years after the collapse of the soviet union broke out of the because of the russian tycoon has earned seven point eight and four percent that's about five million people people voting for him the liberal democratic party leader . very eccentric candidate has got six point three percent around four million people and last but not least given all of the leader of the just party just russia party at three point five percent that is around two point seven million people voting for him now certainly this means that there will be no second round ronnell to be held in three weeks that putin has gained this victory in the very first round of voting and a last night after the polling stations closed across the country he addressed a crowd of a hundred thousand supporters just meters from where i'm standing in front of the walls of the kremlin and was very emotional thanking the crowd

all of his rivals in this political in the presidential race except the communist party leader gennady zyuganov who claimed that the vote was illegitimate and refused to acknowledge the result of this election and meetings were given if we can at this. at this meeting with the always political rivals now we understand that if you're doing this meeting putin actually approved of mr prosser idea to launch his own political party and said that should this happen then his party the united party will definitely call parade with the new movement of mikhail prokhorov the russian billionaire it's also the newcomer to politics and a first time presidential candidate now is the ground of as i've said refused to come to this meeting and i'd like to remind our viewers that. scored almost forty five percent more than zyuganov standing at sixty three percent sixty three point six percent of the presidential election with this you've got of being at seventeen points to nevertheless still believe the vote is illegitimate and he's planning to hold a rally in moscow to support that claim last night in fact putin

contends the headquarters of communist rival franken place counted it so far communist leader gennady zyuganov argues to break more say is there is a sly sugandha of no stranger to second place in presidential polls who's really a veteran are has seen more popularity in the past what are here in this camp saying about these early results. well they are all very disappointed in fact that they can play the headquarters is very quiet right now as they've all just kind of rallied in their own offices just talking about what happened tonight early on we heard from a lot of himself saying that's what he really lakshman where i'd say this on this and i'm not worried the very harsh words coming from him let's take a listen. big. chunk probably best to get the whole me not under a canopy boss or in. this election was neither free nor legitimate fear elections here a dialogue between the power party and the opposition but the ruling party never took a step nearer elections mean all heads of parties take part in korea lecture debates flooding reported never showed up here election i mean the bureaucracy

supporters celebrate their discontent at the headquarters of his closest rival communist leader gennady zyuganov bring us up to date with that developing story tonight. structure of course to second place in presidential polls i guess again it's not to be happy about that so i want to hear this kind of saying about these early results . well early on he came out spoke to us here at the headquarters saying that these elections where dishonest unfair and and worthy and for him and his party he will not recognize the results of these evil actions now let's take a look at how he's done over the years in terms of like he said before he's actually run this is the fourth time his run for the hot seat in the kremlin and he's not done very well he's always come second in one thousand nine hundred six he ran against mr yeltsin where he got thirty five thirty two percent of the vote in fact that was his highest. turnaround and his highest vote of the entire political party and then in two thousand he ran against mr putin where he got up to twenty one percent of the vote and then two thousand the last of vo

protest movement breeds windell because if you look at it for example the communist party leader gennady zyuganov was not even there are apparently he was invited but he refused to come to the meeting he did basically it seems like the protest movement may lose its momentum because of the leaders of the opposition the primary leaders were there today and they looked like they're ready to work with again the future president putin all a lot of the issues which they may be facing so grotesquely actually be in the past as we know them well we're watching very carefully to overcome you know she wore how. ridiculous you think so so much thank you. well the only new face in the race independent candidate nicole croaker of came in third with around eight percent of the vote is being held as a great success for the tycoon turned politician who rounded up millions of votes in just a few months of campaigning representing the middle class and calling for reform proper of says he's here to stay and for more on what comes next for the ambitious figure here's are to you then to friends. those plans and ambiti

guest: people are focusing on a man who was arrested last gennady zyuganov righ. the big guessing game is well putin look to an equivalent of themselves who can keep the system to gather? my sense is that he is not under great pressure to do that. host: not medvedev? guest: there was a question about whether there was an opportunity for putin to do that. my guess is that was probably not what was going on. host: 4 lauderdale, florida -- fort lauderdale. caller: interesting show. i want to say that in russia, it has become a christian nation. it is wonderful to see how they have move from communism. they passed a wonderful law to protect the children. the christian faith is very strong in russia now. i hope it grows even stronger. there are bad things happening. this is a huge issue that you cover-up in the united states media. host: christianity in russia. guest: there is a chasm between the protectors of dignity and the society as a whole. so we see a society that is going through a transition. a new attitude toward personal life style and personal choice. there