MEANWHILE... back somewhere in Siberia:
"Russian District Scrambles to Correct Putin's Surprise Election Defeat
A Russian polling district in southern Siberia has scrambled to recount votes after presidential candidate Nikolai Kharitonov received more votes than Vladimir Putin in the March 15 to 17 election, according to local media reports.
Voting results were recounted at a polling station in the city of Barnaul in the Altai Republic after the Russian electoral commission found a "technical error."
It resulted in veteran candidate Kharitonov of the Communist Party receiving 763 votes"10 times more than the number of votes for Putin, independent Russian publication Meduza reported.
The new results are still unknown. Newsweek has contacted Russia's Foreign Ministry via email for comment."
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"Russia's elections have historically been marred by manipulation, ballot stuffing and forced voting. Putin's biggest critics are typically barred from running for president, while opposition figures have often been jailed or are exiled.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov previously said that Russia's presidential election is "not really democracy" but a "costly bureaucracy."
He forecast at least a 90 percent victory for Putin this year."
Funny if not so tragic.
