In Russia, international observers are crying foul in Sunday’s sweeping parliamentary victory for President Vladimir Putin’s political party. Official results gave United Russia 64 percent of the vote. On Monday, Goran Lennmarker of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe rejected the result.

Goran Lennmarker: “Could I first say that our central conclusion is that these elections failed to meet many of the commitments and standards that we have in the OSCE and the Council of Europe. And by that it is not, as we say, a fair election.”

The parliamentary victory is expected to help Putin maintain wide influence over Russian politics after he steps down next year.