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MOSCOW, March 15: Russian President Vladimir Putin swept to four more years in the Kremlin on Monday after a runaway election triumph, but the party mood was soured by Western criticism the poll had been undemocratic.
After winning a landslide 71 percent of the vote Putin shrugged off US charges that he had denied his rivals fair media access in the campaign for Sunday's election.
US President George W. Bush told Putin in a congratulatory phone call he now had a chance to implement democratic reform. "The president emphasised how with this election, President Putin has an opportunity to deepen Russia's commitment to reform - market-based reform and democratic reform," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said in Washington.
The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, a democracy watchdog, criticised the role of state media, which opponents of Putin said was heavily biased in his favour.
"The election process overall did not adequately reflect the principle necessary for a healthy democratic election process," said Julian Peel Yates, head of the OSCE's Russian election mission.
"Essential elements...such as vibrant political discourse and meaningful pluralism were lacking," Yates said. His words echoed pre-election suggestions by US Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice that Putin's rivals had been denied fair media access, a view shared by EU External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten.
"I am not sure the media and television were giving the impression of giving adequate coverage to all candidates," Patten said. "Whether they were fair elections is, I think, a matter for some discussion."
CALM CONTROL: In a post-vote appearance where Putin exuded calm control rather than triumph, the former KGB spy conceded his first four-year term had not greatly improved the lives of his 145 million people and he pledged to work to raise living standards.
"What we have done has not made Russians prosperous," he told reporters at his election headquarters. "We haven't brought prosperity. It is rather the dawn of prosperity."
Putin pledged in his next term, which under the constitution will be his last, to pursue reforms that would bring tangible benefits to Russians, a quarter of whom live in poverty.
Signalling business as usual, Putin said he would attend regular Monday meetings with his cabinet and would be talking by telephone with foreign governments.
With nearly all ballots counted, Putin won 71 percent of votes - well above the 50 percent needed for an outright first-round victory. His closest rival, communist Nikolai Kharitonov scored 13.8 percent. -Reuters
