Russian President Vladimir Putin has been swept back to power, after thrashing his rivals in Sunday\'s poll. With more than 99% of the ballots counted, Mr Putin had 71.2% support, while his nearest rival, Communist Party candidate Nikolai Kharitonov, had only 13.7%. At a news conference hours after the polls closed, Mr Putin vowed to push ahead with economic reforms. He also dismissed criticism from US Secretary of State Colin Powell, who had suggested that Mr Putin\'s rivals had been denied media access. The image of Mr Putin as a 21st-Century tsar evidently appealed to a people whose country has historically been ruled by a firm fist from the centre, the BBC\'s Stephen Dalziel in Moscow says. But he adds that the lives of many Russian are still being blighted by the worst elements of the Soviet past which Mr Putin will need to address during his second term in office. \"All the democratic achievements will be guaranteed,\" Mr Putin told reporters in Moscow, wearing a black sweater and a black jacket with no tie. \"And we shall not stop with what has been achieved. We shall strengthen the multi-party system,\" he said. Mr Putin also firmly brushed aside Mr Powell\'s criticism as \"dictated by the domestic political balance\" with upcoming US elections. \"In many so-called developed democracies there are also many problems with their own democratic and voting procedures,\" he said, referring to the controversial George W Bush\'s victory over Al Gore in the 2000 poll. Russia\'s election officials said 64.3% of the registered voters cast ballots. Analysts - who widely predicted Mr Putin\'s landslide - earlier said only a failure to reach the turnout requirement - 50% of the vote - would have prevented his victory. (BBC)