Putin scores landslide parliamentary wins

MOSCOW, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin's party scored landslide victories Sunday in the nation's parliamentary elections, exit polls indicated.

The turnout was average. The Russian Central Election Commission said it had not received any complaints from 299 international poll monitors, ITAR-TASS reported.

Europe's main monitoring group, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, refused to send poll watchers to the election, citing obstruction from Moscow over delayed visas, RIA Novosti reported.

Putin will likely continue to dominate Russian politics even after he steps down as president in March, EuroNews.net reported Sunday. Putin has hinted at a bid to become prime minister.

Putin said his party, United Russia, would maintain stability and economic growth, while opponents -- including chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov -- said handing more power to Putin would repress minority voices. Kasparov was held for five days last month for leading a march of The Other Russia, an umbrella group of anti-Putin parties.