MOSCOW — President Vladimir Putin has had nothing but mockery for the protesters who have taken to the streets against him in unprecedented numbers. Russia’s opposition, he said, is no more than a gaggle of Internet dwellers with ‘‘no unified program, no clear and comprehensible way of achieving their unclear goals, and nobody who can actually do something.’’

The opposition has set out to prove him wrong by formally choosing its leaders through an online election that ended Monday night. Nearly 82,000 voted in the election, which was intended to help the opposition present a more united front against the Kremlin and find a way to broaden its appeal as enthusiasm for street protests fades.