Putin critic: Constitutional vote a 'total fraud'

Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky declared a vote which cleared the way for President Vladimir Putin to rule Russia until 2036 "a total fraud".

The Russian oligarch-turned-dissident told British broadcaster Sky the "absurd" rules of the referendum on amendments to Russia's constitution could effectively be "made up".

According to Russian election officials, nearly 78% of voters approved the amendments in seven days of balloting that concluded Wednesday.

Turnout across the vast country was put at almost 68%.

The amendment which allows Putin to run for two more six-year terms after his current one expires in 2024 were part of a package which also outlaw same-sex marriage, mention "a belief in God as a core value" and emphasize the primacy of Russian law over international norms.

Voters could not decide on the individual amendments but only on the entire group.

Khodorkovsky said Putin wants to prove his legitimacy in the eyes of the world and Russian community, but argued the vote would not be seen as a validation of the president.

One-time billionaire Khodorkovsky spent 10 years in prison for tax fraud charges seen as punishment for his political ambitions.

He was pardoned in 2013, and now lives in London, from where he manages his "Open Russia" movement, which provides legal support for victims of rights abuse and runs media projects.