Kremlin ally wins Moscow election, Navalny calls for recount
- 11 years ago
Russian election officials say an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin has won the Moscow election for mayor - but opposition leader Alexei Navalny is claiming the results were falsified.
Preliminary election results gave Sergei Sobyanin 51 percent of the vote - even to push him over the 50 percent mark needed to claim victory.
Navalny who received 27 percent of the vote - is refusing to concede defeat.
SOUNDBITE (Russian) Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny, saying:
"We don't recognize these elections. Sobyanin cannot consider himself a mayor of all Muscovites. He should not consider himself a lawfully elected mayor if he doesn't accept our demands and doesn't agree to the recount of the votes."
Aides to Navalny allege authorities increased his rivals returns - by adding people to voter lists and manipulating mobile polling stations designed for people confined to their homes.
Moscow's electoral commission rejected the allegations.
Preliminary election results gave Sergei Sobyanin 51 percent of the vote - even to push him over the 50 percent mark needed to claim victory.
Navalny who received 27 percent of the vote - is refusing to concede defeat.
SOUNDBITE (Russian) Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny, saying:
"We don't recognize these elections. Sobyanin cannot consider himself a mayor of all Muscovites. He should not consider himself a lawfully elected mayor if he doesn't accept our demands and doesn't agree to the recount of the votes."
Aides to Navalny allege authorities increased his rivals returns - by adding people to voter lists and manipulating mobile polling stations designed for people confined to their homes.
Moscow's electoral commission rejected the allegations.