World

When: December 2, 2007
Where: Russia
Who: Russian President Vladimir Putin
What: Russian President Vladimir Putin Monday declared his party's parliamentary victory as a mandate to cement power, according to The Associated Press, reporting remarks he made on Russian TV. Putin's United Russia Party had 63.2 percent of the vote from 92 percent of precincts reporting, according to the Central Election Commission -- enough to form a majority in the Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, party leader Boris Gryzlov said.
Why: International electoral monitors and foreign governments have questioned the fairness of the vote, which will let him wield power beyond the end of his presidential term.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/12/03/russia.vote/index.html