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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Russia election protests: Putin plays down losses | Russia election protests: Putin plays down losses |
| (5 days later) | |
| Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has played down his party's losses at Sunday's parliamentary election as inevitable for a party in power. | Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has played down his party's losses at Sunday's parliamentary election as inevitable for a party in power. |
| Thousands of police and interior troops are on alert in Moscow, after one of the biggest opposition rallies in the city centre for years. | Thousands of police and interior troops are on alert in Moscow, after one of the biggest opposition rallies in the city centre for years. |
| Police made 300 arrests as protesters chanted "Russia without Putin". | Police made 300 arrests as protesters chanted "Russia without Putin". |
| Among those held was Alexei Navalny, a top anti-corruption campaigner and fierce critic of Mr Putin. | Among those held was Alexei Navalny, a top anti-corruption campaigner and fierce critic of Mr Putin. |
| A counter-demonstration by Putin supporters was held beside Red Square on Tuesday amid reports that opposition supporters were planning a new protest. | A counter-demonstration by Putin supporters was held beside Red Square on Tuesday amid reports that opposition supporters were planning a new protest. |
| Observers from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) say Sunday's election was slanted in favour of Mr Putin's party, United Russia. | Observers from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) say Sunday's election was slanted in favour of Mr Putin's party, United Russia. |
| United Russia won the election with just under 50% of the vote, a sharp drop in its support. | United Russia won the election with just under 50% of the vote, a sharp drop in its support. |
| Correspondents say the result reflects Mr Putin's declining popularity ahead of his bid for the Russian presidency in March. | Correspondents say the result reflects Mr Putin's declining popularity ahead of his bid for the Russian presidency in March. |
| 'Inevitable losses' | 'Inevitable losses' |
| Speaking to United Russia officials in Moscow on Tuesday, Mr Putin suggested that electoral losses were inevitable for any party in power. | Speaking to United Russia officials in Moscow on Tuesday, Mr Putin suggested that electoral losses were inevitable for any party in power. |
| "Yes, there were losses and they are inevitable," the prime minister and former two-term president said, quoted by Russian news agencies. | "Yes, there were losses and they are inevitable," the prime minister and former two-term president said, quoted by Russian news agencies. |
| "They are inevitable for any political force, especially for one which, not for the first year, bears the brunt of responsibility for the situation in the country." | "They are inevitable for any political force, especially for one which, not for the first year, bears the brunt of responsibility for the situation in the country." |
| Mr Putin also rejected the accusation by Mr Navalny and others that his party was especially corrupt. | Mr Putin also rejected the accusation by Mr Navalny and others that his party was especially corrupt. |
| "This is a label applied not to a specific political party but to authorities [in general]," he said, promising to tackle the issue. | "This is a label applied not to a specific political party but to authorities [in general]," he said, promising to tackle the issue. |
| Corruption has been the chief accusation levelled against United Russia by Mr Navalny, one of the country's most influential bloggers. | Corruption has been the chief accusation levelled against United Russia by Mr Navalny, one of the country's most influential bloggers. |
| Troops deployed | Troops deployed |
| Little has been heard from the campaigner since his arrest though he was brought to a Moscow courthouse on Tuesday. | Little has been heard from the campaigner since his arrest though he was brought to a Moscow courthouse on Tuesday. |
| But a fellow opposition figure, Ilya Yashin of the Solidarity group, was jailed on Tuesday for 15 days for disobeying police orders during the previous day's rally. | But a fellow opposition figure, Ilya Yashin of the Solidarity group, was jailed on Tuesday for 15 days for disobeying police orders during the previous day's rally. |
| A new rally in central Moscow has been called for Tuesday evening, against United Russia. A page on the Russian social networking site vKontakte calls for "making it hot for the thieving authorities". | A new rally in central Moscow has been called for Tuesday evening, against United Russia. A page on the Russian social networking site vKontakte calls for "making it hot for the thieving authorities". |
| On Twitter, a medium much used by the protesters, a "6dec" Cyrillic hashtag has appeared. The hashtag "5dec" was associated with Monday's rally. | On Twitter, a medium much used by the protesters, a "6dec" Cyrillic hashtag has appeared. The hashtag "5dec" was associated with Monday's rally. |
| One tweet reads: "All decent people are asking Santa Claus [literally: Grandfather Frost] this year for a Russia without Putin." | One tweet reads: "All decent people are asking Santa Claus [literally: Grandfather Frost] this year for a Russia without Putin." |
| Interior ministry spokesman Oleg Yelnikov told AFP news agency that "as many [troops] as required" would police Moscow. | Interior ministry spokesman Oleg Yelnikov told AFP news agency that "as many [troops] as required" would police Moscow. |
| He said security forces would remain on a "heightened regime" of alert until all the votes in the election were counted, adding that some 11,500 interior ministry troops would ensure order across the country. | He said security forces would remain on a "heightened regime" of alert until all the votes in the election were counted, adding that some 11,500 interior ministry troops would ensure order across the country. |
| A Moscow police spokesman separately told AFP that up to 4,000 police and interior ministry troops would be deployed to ensure order in Moscow alone on Tuesday. | A Moscow police spokesman separately told AFP that up to 4,000 police and interior ministry troops would be deployed to ensure order in Moscow alone on Tuesday. |