The regional election in Russia’s Khabarovsk and Vladimir Regions, won by candidates of the Liberal Democratic Party, shows that this was a competitive and fair race, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday, hailing its result.

No violations were registered during the polls, according to the Central Election Commission. "Judging by this, with a high degree of certainty, we can say that the election was fair, open, just and competitive. The Kremlin welcomes this," Peskov said.

Peskov stressed that the fact that the gubernatorial election winners in the Khabarovsk and Vladimir Regions are members of the Liberal Democratic Party, and not the ruling United Russia party, won’t affect their work and coordination with the presidential administration.

"Party membership was absolutely no obstacle for maintaining proper constructive and working relations with all governors," Peskov said, noting that the governors need to meet their election promises and start fulfilling the strategy outlined by President Vladimir Putin.

The Kremlin spokesman admitted that the result of gubernatorial race in the Khabarovsk Region and the Vladimir Region "came as a surprise." "This will be a reason for an analysis to later correct work."

Speaking on Putin’s meeting with the new governors, Peskov said this is unlikely to happen this week.

On Sunday, the Liberal Democratic Party’s candidate Sergei Furgal won the runoff of the gubernatorial race in the Far Eastern Khabarovsk Region, receiving 69.57%, while Acting Governor and the ruling United Russia party’s member Vyacheslav Shport gained only 27.97%.

In the Vladimir Region, located to the east of Moscow, LDPR’s candidate Vladimir Sipyagin secured 57.03%, while Acting Governor and the United Russia party's member Svetlana Orlova garnered 37.46% of the vote during the gubernatorial election’s second round.
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