A week after China’s President Xi Jinping was elected for the second time and was insured rule for life, Russia re-elected Vladimir Putin as the country’s President for the fourth time. Putin, according to exit polls received 75% of the total votes cast. The Central Election Commission, speaking after almost a third of the votes had been counted, put Putin on 73%. The next closest presidential candidate Pavel Grudinin received just 12% of the votes.

This new victory ensures Putin will stay in power until 2024 as the Russian Presidential terms last for six years. This also means that Putin would have ruled Russia for 24 years. Russia has consecutive term limits on the Presidential post i.e. a person cannot hold the office for three consecutive terms. Putin got around this constraint by stepping down and serving as prime minister for one term before winning the presidential elections in 2012. Only Joseph Stalin, a Soviet Union dictator has ruled  Russia for longer. Putin will be 71 when he finishes his fourth term.

With an approval rating around 80% before the country went to polls, Putin’s victory was never in doubt. What is however interesting to note is that Putin ran as an independent candidate this time around for the post of the President, distancing himself from the United Russia party of which he was a part of for twenty years. Reports suggest that despite Putin having an approval rating of 80%, the party itself had an approval rating of 44%.

Western governments are already denouncing Russian elections as rigged, and there were a few reports of irregularities during voting or counting. Critics also accused the government of forcing people to turn out to vote due to the fear of abysmally small numbers of voter turnout. In some areas, free food and discounts in local shops were on offer near polling stations.

The main opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, was barred from the race. Upon reports of irregularities he tweeted out saying the state of affairs had angered him. "Now is the season of Lent. I took it upon myself never to get angry and not to raise my voice. Oh well, I'll try again next year," he tweeted.

Addressing a rally in Moscow after the early results were declared, Putin said voters had "recognised the achievements of the last few years". This was the first time elections were held after Russia had annexed Crimea from Ukraine. Russians living in Ukraine were unable to take part in Sunday's vote because access to Russian diplomatic missions was blocked by the Kiev government.

One of the main motivations that voters have given for choosing Putin as their leader is the stability that the country has seen after almost a decade of anarchy and misrule after the fall of USSR in the 1990s. Russians also back his stance of standing up to the U.S. and NATO powers in Ukraine and Syria.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 19, 2018 04:17 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).