普京獲絕對多數選票即將開始新總統任期

The voters of Russia have handed Vladimir Putin a resounding and expected victory. With nearly All the ballots counted from almost all the precincts, Putin is poised to began his new six-year term as Russia's leader with more than 76 percent of the votes. Putin has been in a position of leadership in Russia for 18 years.

Opinion polls showed he had far more support than any of his rivals.

Putin addressed thousands on the Manezhnaya Square near the Kremlin late Sunday. He hailed those who voted for him as a "big national team," adding that "we are bound for success."

Asked if he would seek the presidency again when next eligible to run, in 2030, the 65-year-old Russian leader snapped, "It's ridiculous. Do you think I will sit here until I turn 100?"

Putin's closest rival was opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who was disqualified from running in the election when he was convicted for embezzlement in December. Given a five-year suspended sentence, Navalny said the conviction was politically motivated, to keep him out of the race.

Navalny led a boycott effort, while Russian election organizers hoped for a high voter turnout to legitimize an election long seen to have been a foregone conclusion.

Putin has been in power as either president or prime minister since 1999. He has switched back and forth between the two roles to circumvent a Russian law banning him from serving more than two consecutive terms as president.俄羅斯選民投票支持普京連任總統，普京獲得了人們預期的壓倒多數的勝利。幾乎所有選區的選票基本清點，普京獲得了76%的選票，看來將開始他俄羅斯總統的又一個任期。

民意調查顯示，普京獲得了比任何其他與之競爭的候選人都高很多的支持率。

普京星期天晚上在克里姆林宮附近的馬涅什對數以千計的支持者發表講話，稱所有投票給他的選民同屬一個“強大的國家隊”，“註定要勝利”。

有人問普京在2030年的大選中他是否還會競選，65歲的普京說：“荒謬。你難道認爲我能坐在這裏活到100歲?”

普京最有力的競爭對手是反對派領袖納瓦爾尼。但是納瓦爾尼已經被取消了參加競選的資格。他去年12月被判犯有貪污罪，判處5年徒刑，緩期執行。納瓦爾尼說，這次審判是出於政治動機，目的是阻止他參加競選。

納瓦爾尼是抵制選舉運動的領導人。俄羅斯選舉機構希望能出現高投票率，以便讓這場人們認爲結果已經預先確定的選舉具有合法地位。

普京自從1999年以來要麼擔任總統、要麼擔任總理。他輪流擔任這兩個職務，避開了俄羅斯有關只能擔任兩屆總統的法律限制。