Pro-Kremlin party wins big majority in parliament

The United Russia party backed by President Vladimir Putin has won 54.2 percent of the vote in a parliamentary election, based on the 90 percent of ballots counted by Monday morning, data from the election commission showed.

The continued dominance of the lower house by United Russia, the party Putin founded and which is now run by his allies, is important for the president, who is widely expected to seek a new term in office in 2018.

"We can announce already with certainty that the party secured a good result, that it won," Putin said after polls closed.