Early results: Putin's party wins majority of Russian vote

MOSCOW -- Early results showed Vladimir Putin's party winning more than 60 percent of the vote Sunday in a parliamentary election that could pave the way for him to remain the country's leader even when he steps down as president.

The vote followed a Kremlin campaign that relied on a combination of persuasion and intimidation to ensure victory for Putin's United Russia party.

With ballots from about 30 percent of precincts counted, United Russia was leading with 63.6 percent, while the Communists -- the only opposition party expected to get seats -- were in a distant second with 11.3 percent, said Central Election Commission Vladimir Churov.

Two other pro-Kremlin parties -- the Liberal Democratic Party and Just Russia were following with 10.6 percent and 7.1 percent, respectively, he said.

The Kremlin has portrayed the election as a referendum on Putin's nearly eight years as president -- with the promise that a major victory would allow him somehow to remain as leader after his second term ends next year.

Putin is constitutionally prohibited from running for a third consecutive term, but he clearly wants to stay in power.

"The vote affirmed the main idea: that Vladimir Putin is the national leader, that the people support his course, and this course will continue," said party leader and parliament speaker Boris Gryzlov said after the exit polls were announced.

The opposition accused the Kremlin of rigging the vote, with Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov calling the election "the most irresponsible and dirty" in the post-Soviet era.