Kadyrov was elected Chechen president last October in a vote that Kremlin hoped to pacify Chechnya that has been ravaged by violence over the past decade in two wars between Chechen separatists and Russian federal forces.

The pro-Moscow Chechen leader was killed in a bomb blast on May 9 in the capital city of Grozny and fighting and violent crime have continued unabated since then.

Some 430 polling stations opened at 08:00 Moscow time (0400 GMT)and closed at 20:00 (1600 GMT) across the republic.

The Election Commission said 79.54 percent of the 590,000 registered Chechen voters, or over 468,000 people, have cast ballots as of the closing time of the campaign.

The turnout has far exceeded the 30-percent threshold required to validate the election.

Pro-Moscow Alkhanov likely to win

Of the seven candidates vying for the presidency, 47-year-old Chechen Interior Minister Alu Alkhanov is widely expected to win the election.

The Election Commission said Sunday night that Alkhanov had won 72 percent of votes after 25,000 ballots were counted.

Russian media have predicted that Alkhanov would garner some 80 percent of the votes.

The other six candidates are lagging far behind Alkhanov as no one has collected more than 14 percent of votes.

A candidate who will win over 50 percent of the total votes will become Chechnya's president for the next four years.

Alkhanov, a favorite of both Russian President Vladimir Putin's government and the Chechen administration, has vowed to carry on Kadyrov's policies, and to treat security and social stability as top priorities while trying to restore the tattered economy and improve people's life.

Putin has made clear his support for Alkhanov and even made an unprecedented promise to Alkhanov that Chechnya can keep the revenue from its oil exports for its reconstruction.

Vote calm despite minor blast incident

The Sunday vote, the second of its kind in less than a year in the Northern Caucasus republic, was held amid growing concern over rebel attacks and suspicions that Chechen terrorists brought down two Russian airliners that killed 90 people on Tuesday.

Russia said traces of explosives were found in the wreckage of both planes and two Chechen women who were among the victims are being investigated.

An Islamic group vowing support for Chechnya rebels have claimed responsibility for the disasters.

Rebel attacks have become increasingly rampant in Chechnya after Kadyrov's death, and separatists even vowed to kill Alkhanovas another "Moscow stooge," which roused grave concerns over the prospect of peace after the elections.

Russian and Chechen authorities have beefed up security measures ahead of the polling. About 17,000 servicemen have been mobilized to ensure security and public order in the poll.

Dozens of police patrol groups were on round-the-clock duty in the capital of Grozny and armored vehicles were also deployed at main intersections in the city.

The voting process was calm and there were no shooting, explosions or attacks during the process thanks to "rather lengthy preparations, correct placing of the personnel, and skillful and selfless performance of the Chechen police and federal forces," said Russian First Deputy Interior Minister Alexander Chekalin.

However, a 25-year-old local man set off a bomb while escaping from police outside a polling station Sunday morning. The man killed himself on the spot but no others were injured.

The Chechen Interior Ministry said the incident was rather a crime than a terrorist act.

Acting Chechen prosecutor Vladimir Kravchenko confirmed that no incidents or serious violations were registered on the election day.

Chechnya won de-facto independence in 1996 after the pullout of Russian troops. Federal soldiers returned to the lawless republic in September 1999. Since then, the guerrilla war between Chechen rebels and federal troops has persisted, occasionally spilling into neighboring regions.

(Xinhua News Agency August 30, 2004)