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| Russians vote for new president | Russians vote for new president |
| (20 minutes 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 0800 (2000 GMT Saturday), in a vote pitting Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev against three challengers. | Polling stations in the Far East opened at 0800 (2000 GMT Saturday), in a vote pitting Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev against three challengers. |
| If elected, Mr Medvedev, the Kremlin's preferred candidate, has promised to make Mr Putin his prime minister. | If elected, Mr Medvedev, the Kremlin's preferred candidate, has promised to make Mr Putin his prime minister. |
| 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. |
| The other candidates are Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov, Liberal Democrat Vladimir Zhirinovsky and Democratic Party candidate Andrei Bogdanov. | The other candidates are Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov, Liberal Democrat Vladimir Zhirinovsky and Democratic Party candidate Andrei Bogdanov. |
| 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 In pictures: Putin in powerQ&A: Russian elections | 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 In pictures: Putin in powerQ&A: Russian elections |
| 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 outpost of Kaliningrad at 1800 GMT on Sunday. | Voting closes in the western outpost of Kaliningrad at 1800 GMT on Sunday. |
| Apathy | Apathy |
| The BBC's Richard Galpin in Vladivostok says there was barely any campaigning by any of the candidates and there is little excitement amongst the electorate. | The BBC's Richard Galpin in Vladivostok says there was barely any campaigning by any of the candidates and there is little excitement amongst the electorate. |
| But despite the lack of enthusiasm voting has been steady there throughout the day, he says. | But despite the lack of enthusiasm voting has been steady there throughout the day, he says. |
| There has been very little scrutiny of voting by Western election observers, and there are already reports of irregularities. | There has been very little scrutiny of voting by Western election observers, 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 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 says. |
| The main European election monitoring body - from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) - decided not to send a delegation. | The main European election monitoring body - from 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. | It said the Russian authorities were planning to impose unacceptable restrictions on its work. |