Medvedev set to win Russia poll

Mr Medvedev worked as a lawyer before moving to the Kremlin Vladimir Putin's chosen successor, Dmitry Medvedev, is set to win Russia's presidential election by a wide margin, exit polls indicate. The state-owned pollster VTsIOM gave Mr Medvedev 69.6% of the vote. His nearest rival was Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov, on nearly 20%. He vowed to go to court over alleged fraud, Itar-Tass news agency reports. Mr Putin congratulated the front-runner on his lead, while Mr Medvedev promised to continue the president's policies. The two men appeared together at a rally in Moscow's Red Square. "We can preserve the path set by Vladimir Putin and we have every chance of doing that," Mr Medvedev told the crowd. A first deputy PM, he was the clear favourite from the start and enjoyed generous television coverage. Allegations Mr Putin, who has been in office for eight years, was barred by the constitution from seeking a third term, but has pledged to serve as Mr Medvedev's prime minister. Turnout was high, at nearly 60%, officials said. But there were reports that many workers were told by their bosses to vote. Various inducements were also offered to mobilise voters, including cheap food, free cinema tickets or toys, correspondents say. After polls closed Mr Zyuganov said there had been widespread irregularities. "We will go to court over this," Itar-Tass quoted him as saying. The Kremlin has dismissed claims of fraud. There has been very little scrutiny of voting by Western election observers, many of whom stayed away. The main independent Russian observer group, Golos, said the turnout was impossibly high in some regions.