(Correcting lede to read vote based on returns from 16 pct of polling stations, not 16 pct of ballots counted)
MOSCOW (Thomson Financial) - Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev won more than 64 pct of the vote in a presidential election based on returns from 16 pct of polling stations, the Central Election Commission said.
The figures, which were being updated in real time live on Russian television, put Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov in second place with almost 20 pct of the vote.
Medvedev won 69.6 pct of the vote, trouncing his three rivals, according to the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Centre exit poll.
His victory was claimed a foregone conclusion given his backing from Putin, who is expected to become prime minister and retain a key role in the world's leading energy exporter and biggest country.
Independent observers highlighted a stream of violations, however, saying people were pressured to vote, absentee voting was abused and monitors were refused access to polling stations.
Medvedev's nearest challenger was Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov, with 17.2 pct, followed by populist nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky on 11.4 pct, the poll showed. The almost unknown Andrei Bogdanov got just 1.8 pct.
Medvedev, 42, the first deputy premier and head of gas monopoly Gazprom, has promised to follow the policies of Putin, who is stepping down after two four-year terms.
Analysts have said Medvedev will make few dramatic changes and could end up being little more than a puppet manipulated by his mentor.
Incomplete figures from the central elections commission showed 60 pct participation among the 109 mln eligible voters, although this was expected to rise.
According to critics, the high figure reflected the authorities' use of fraud and coercion to avoid an embarrassingly low turnout.
The election came under attack from democracy watchdogs who accused the Kremlin of stage-managing the contest through media bias, pressure on regional leaders, and use of state resources.
The main European election monitoring body, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), boycotted the vote, citing restrictions on its monitors.
US Democratic presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama last week also criticised the election as a fix to keep Putin in power.
The Communist Party, which has deployed large numbers of observers, said workers at two factories in the Vladivostok area were told to vote or face dismissal or wage cuts.
There were also signs of a repeat in the troubled Caucasus provinces of Chechnya and Ingushetia of the Soviet-style turnouts reported in December parliamentary elections.
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said that 'nearly every single resident of Chechnya will go out and vote'. tf.TFN-Europe_newsdesk@thomson.com afp/ejp/ejp COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Financial News Limited 2007. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Thomson Financial News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Financial News.