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| Russians vote for new president | Russians vote for new president |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Voting is under way in Russia's presidential poll, bringing to a close Vladimir Putin's eight years in office. | Voting is under way in Russia's presidential poll, bringing to a close Vladimir Putin's eight years in office. |
| Polling stations in the Far East opened at 2000 GMT Saturday, in a vote pitting first deputy prime minister Dmitry Medvedev against three challengers. | Polling stations in the Far East opened at 2000 GMT Saturday, in a vote pitting first deputy prime minister Dmitry Medvedev against three challengers. |
| Mr Medvedev, the Kremlin's preferred candidate, has promised to make Mr Putin his prime minister. | Mr Medvedev, the Kremlin's preferred candidate, has promised to make Mr Putin his prime minister. |
| Observers say the poll's outcome is not in doubt and the only question is the turnout in favour of Mr Medvedev. | Observers say the poll's outcome is not in doubt and the only question is the turnout in favour of Mr Medvedev. |
| The electoral commission chief, Vladimir Churov, said turnout was higher than in the December parliamentary election. | The electoral commission chief, Vladimir Churov, said turnout was higher than in the December parliamentary election. |
| CANDIDATES FOR POWER Dmitry Medvedev: First deputy prime minister and chairman of Gazprom, endorsed by President PutinGennady Zyuganov: Veteran Communist Party leaderVladimir Zhirinovsky: Ultra-nationalist leaderAndrei Bogdanov: Little-known head of small Democratic Party Wooed with caps and food href="/1/hi/in_pictures/7273827.stm">In pictures: Russia votes class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/7243701.stm">Q&A: Russian elections | |
| "Practically in all constituent parts of the Russian Federation turnout is higher," he said. | "Practically in all constituent parts of the Russian Federation turnout is higher," he said. |
| The BBC's Richard Galpin in Vladivostok, in the Far East, says there was barely any campaigning by any of the candidates and there is little excitement amongst the electorate. Yet voting has been steady there, he says. | The BBC's Richard Galpin in Vladivostok, in the Far East, says there was barely any campaigning by any of the candidates and there is little excitement amongst the electorate. Yet voting has been steady there, he says. |
| Medvedev media blitz | Medvedev media blitz |
| Mr Putin, hugely popular because of Russia's economic boom, was barred by the constitution from seeking a third term. | Mr Putin, hugely popular because of Russia's economic boom, was barred by the constitution from seeking a third term. |
| In the run-up to the vote Russia's main television channels gave generous coverage to Mr Medvedev, who refused to debate with his rivals. | In the run-up to the vote Russia's main television channels gave generous coverage to Mr Medvedev, who refused to debate with his rivals. |
| The other candidates are: Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov, nationalist Liberal Democrat Vladimir Zhirinovsky and Democratic Party candidate Andrei Bogdanov. | The other candidates are: Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov, nationalist Liberal Democrat Vladimir Zhirinovsky and Democratic Party candidate Andrei Bogdanov. |
| Saturday was declared an official "day of silence", with no campaigning allowed across Russia's 11 time zones. | Saturday was declared an official "day of silence", with no campaigning allowed across Russia's 11 time zones. |
| More than 109 million Russians are registered to vote in the elections. | More than 109 million Russians are registered to vote in the elections. |
| Voting closes in the western enclave of Kaliningrad at 1800 GMT on Sunday. | Voting closes in the western enclave of Kaliningrad at 1800 GMT on Sunday. |
| Pressure to vote | Pressure to vote |
| Mr Medvedev, 42, voted in Moscow, saying "spring has arrived - although it is raining, a new season has come". | Mr Medvedev, 42, voted in Moscow, saying "spring has arrived - although it is raining, a new season has come". |
| How Russians will vote through the dayEnlarge Map | How Russians will vote through the dayEnlarge Map |
| Before his rise to power in the Kremlin he trained as a lawyer in St Petersburg, where he also worked alongside Vladimir Putin. But unlike Mr Putin, he has no background in the security services. | Before his rise to power in the Kremlin he trained as a lawyer in St Petersburg, where he also worked alongside Vladimir Putin. But unlike Mr Putin, he has no background in the security services. |
| There has been very little scrutiny of voting by Western election observers, many of whom stayed away, and there are already reports of irregularities. | There has been very little scrutiny of voting by Western election observers, many of whom stayed away, and there are already reports of irregularities. |
| Civil servants have been ordered by their managers to vote, and there are reports that police and teachers are under similar pressure, our correspondent in Vladivostok says. | Civil servants have been ordered by their managers to vote, and there are reports that police and teachers are under similar pressure, our correspondent in Vladivostok says. |
| A prominent critic of the Kremlin, former chess champion Garry Kasparov, told the BBC that support for Mr Putin and his allies was not self-evident. | A prominent critic of the Kremlin, former chess champion Garry Kasparov, told the BBC that support for Mr Putin and his allies was not self-evident. |
| "Mr Putin never stood for free and fair elections and when you talk about his big numbers they are obviously inflated by the pro-Kremlin polling organisations", he said. | "Mr Putin never stood for free and fair elections and when you talk about his big numbers they are obviously inflated by the pro-Kremlin polling organisations", he said. |
| Western criticism | Western criticism |
| The main European election monitoring body - the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) - decided not to send a delegation. | The main European election monitoring body - the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) - decided not to send a delegation. |
| It said the Russian authorities were planning to impose unacceptable restrictions on its work. The OSCE complained about Russian limits on the number of observers and on the duration of their stay. | It said the Russian authorities were planning to impose unacceptable restrictions on its work. The OSCE complained about Russian limits on the number of observers and on the duration of their stay. |
| In a sign of continuing unrest in the Caucasus, two bomb explosions targeted a police convoy on Sunday in the Russian republic of Dagestan. | In a sign of continuing unrest in the Caucasus, two bomb explosions targeted a police convoy on Sunday in the Russian republic of Dagestan. |
| Several people were reported injured in the attack in Khasavyurt, near the border with Chechnya. | Several people were reported injured in the attack in Khasavyurt, near the border with Chechnya. |