Observers slam Russian vote as Putin declares victory

International observers blasted Russia's presidential election Monday, saying: "The point of an election is that the outcome should be uncertain. This was not the case in Russia."

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin looked set to win Sunday's vote and return to the office he held until he was forced out by term limits four years ago.

But European monitors expressed disappointment and frustration with the way he won.

They said they observed ballot stuffing and other irregularities in about a third of polling stations they monitored, and an uneven playing field in the run-up to the election.