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| Russia holds regional elections | Russia holds regional elections |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Russians have voted in regional elections that are widely considered a rehearsal for forthcoming parliamentary and presidential elections. | |
| The ballots are the first in a year of elections that critics say are organised to ensure that President Vladimir Putin retains control. | The ballots are the first in a year of elections that critics say are organised to ensure that President Vladimir Putin retains control. |
| Mr Putin is expected to step down in 2008 but he has hinted he will choose the person who will replace him. | Mr Putin is expected to step down in 2008 but he has hinted he will choose the person who will replace him. |
| Parties opposed to the Kremlin say they have been deliberately marginalised. | Parties opposed to the Kremlin say they have been deliberately marginalised. |
| Voters had a choice of two mainstream parties and a number of smaller ones in the elections in 14 of the country's 86 regions. | |
| But analysts say the Kremlin-backed United Russia party will almost certainly win. | But analysts say the Kremlin-backed United Russia party will almost certainly win. |
| St Petersburg is one of the regions which voted. A large opposition rally in the city to protest that many parties were blocked from the ballot was violently broken up by police this week. | |
| One of Russia's leading liberal political parties, Yabloko, was among the parties banned from the elections there. | One of Russia's leading liberal political parties, Yabloko, was among the parties banned from the elections there. |
| The city's electoral commission said too many signatures supporting the party's candidates had been invalid. | The city's electoral commission said too many signatures supporting the party's candidates had been invalid. |
| But Yabloko said the commission's decision was an attempt to muzzle the voice of the opposition to the pro-Kremlin municipal council. | But Yabloko said the commission's decision was an attempt to muzzle the voice of the opposition to the pro-Kremlin municipal council. |