Dmitry Medvedev, the man hand-picked by President Vladimir Putin to be his successor, won a crushing victory in the Russian elections on Sunday.

With the ballots from more than half of the electoral precincts counted, Medvedev had 68.2 per cent support, according to the Central Election Commission. Communist party chief Gennady Zyuganov had nearly 20 per cent.

Earlier in the day, Putin had congratulated his apparent successor in Moscow's Red Square on Sunday and said the win would ensure continuity of the course he set for Russia.

"We will be able to preserve the course of President Putin," Medvedev said, appearing alongside his mentor.

Russian opposition leaders alleged violations in the conduct of the election and voters complained of pressure to cast ballots for Medvedev in what critics are calling a move to ensure unbroken rule by Putin and his allies.

"There are certainly reliable reports that teachers, trade unions have been urged that they should bring up their members to the polls and there's even suggestions that there would be repercussions if those members didn't turn up," Errol Mendes, a political analyst with the University of Ottawa told CTV Newsnet on Sunday.

High turnout, he said, was likely due to the nationalist fervour that has been stirred up by Putin and his supporters.

Mendes said this election indicates the emergence of "managed democracy," a new type of Russian authoritarianism.

"Essentially what we've seen today is the election of Mr. Putin's right-hand person, as opposed to a real president," he said. "Any opposition by the media or the newspapers have been really oppressed and shut down. So what you see is a long-standing managing of the democracy to ensure that there will be a succession that will still have Mr. Putin as the person who controls behind the scenes."

Medvedev, a 42-year-old lawyer and loyal Kremlin aide, has said he would offer Putin the job of prime minister.

Election denounced

Former Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, now an opposition figure, and former world chess champion Garry Kasparov were left off the ballot over technicalities.

"The result doesn't matter as this is an illegitimate transfer of power, Kasyanov said on Sunday.

Escorted by riot police near Moscow's Red Square, Kasparov carried a plastic shopping bag that read "I am not participating in this farce."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the complaints, saying that Sunday's high voter turnout was evidence of public support for Medvedev.

There wasn't much independent monitoring of the vote. There are only 300 international election monitors for the 96,000 voting stations spread across 11 time zones.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe refused to send observers. The group said Russian authorities were imposing such tight restrictions that it could not work in a meaningful way.

Peskov said that specific allegations should be investigated by the Central Electoral Commission, and warned against drawing general conclusions about the conduct of the elections.

Polling stations offered discounts on food, office supplies and even beer--an echo of the carefully staged elections of Soviet times. Some showed up for the goods but didn't vote.

"I'm in a good mood. Spring is here," Medvedev said Sunday in Moscow. "The season has changed."

Polls had predicted that Medvedev would easily triumph over the other candidates: Zyuganov, ultranationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky and Andrei Bogdanov of the Democratic Party, the lowest-profile of the three.

When Medvedev takes over, the economy will likely be the main domestic issue.

Russia has benefited hugely from the rapid rise of energy prices, but hasn't done much yet to diversify its economy.

Inflation was measured at more than 11 per cent in 2007, and that is weakening the country's emerging middle class.

A more open question is whether Russia's foreign policy will change, or whether Medvedev will continue Putin's hawkish rhetoric towards the West.

With files from The Associated Press