MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin on Thursday hailed as a triumph the result of a nationwide vote that handed President Vladimir Putin the right to stay in power until 2036, saying it was a testament to public trust in him.
Official results published on Thursday, after 100% of ballots had been counted, showed that nearly 78% of voters had approved constitutional changes allowing Putin to run for two more six-year terms after his current one ends in 2024.
Critics have said the vote was flawed by serious irregularities, something the authorities deny.
Reporting by Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber and Anton Kolodyazhnyy; Editing by Andrew Osborn
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