March 3, 2008 By Citizen M

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – March 3, 2008

030308.jpgTODAY: “Boring” and “stage-managed” elections see landslide for Medvedev. Other Russia to protest today. Russia and China re-evaluating arms trade, UK Prime Minister to offer Russia a “fresh start”. Barroso fears economic Cold War. The elections were “boring” and “carefully stage-managed by the Kremlin”, with polling stations hosting various spectacles to draw voters – in one, “six young women clad in small white bikinis danced and cavorted for an audience of all ages in front of a Russian flag made out of red, white and blue balloons.” One district in the North Caucasus is reporting 100% voter turnout. The Election Commission measures overall voter turnout at 69.65%. With 99.45% of the votes counted, Dmitry Medvedev had 70.23% of the vote, and Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov had 17.76%. Western election monitors are expected to give the elections a “harsh poll verdict.” The White House has avoided commenting on the result thus far. United Russia won landslide victories in elections for legislative assemblies in 11 regions over the weekend.