Russian parliament election ends with main pro-Kremlin party in lead

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, December 08, 2003

Russian parliament election ends with main pro-Kremlin party in lead

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

The nationwide Russian parliamentary election ended smoothly Sunday night with the key pro-Kremlin party United Russia ranking first, according to partial preliminary results announced by the Central Election Commission (CEC).

After 7.39 percent of votes were counted as of 11:00 p.m. Moscow time (2000 GMT), United Russia won 36.25 percent of the popular votes, the ultra-nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) finished second with 15.2 percent.

They were followed by the Communist Party of Russian Federation(KPRF) with 12.83 percent, and the Rodina (Motherland) bloc with 7.89 percent.

The two small liberal parties of Yabloko and the Union of the Right Forces (SPS) failed to clear the 5-percent barrier needed toensure their entry into the new 450-member State Duma with around 4 percent and 3.44 percent, respectively.

Vasily Bogomolov, a key candidate of United Russia, foresaw 190seats for his party in the future legislature. He expressed the belief that the new speaker of the parliament will be a member of his party.

Vladimir Zhirinovsky, head of the currently runner-up LDPR, waspleased with the initial results of the election, saying that his party had been expecting a first place.

According to various exit polls, Zhirinovsky's party will get around 12 percent vote, improving its position from 1999, when it collected 6 percent.

Although the election has been announced valid by the CEC, Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov said that the results of the parliamentary elections have been rigged and the party would count the votes on its own with the assistance of observers in three or four days.

The Communist Party was the main opposition to the Kremlin and ranked first in the 1999 Duma election.

Boris Nemtsov, leader of the liberal SPS, predicted on NTV television Sunday night that "there will be many national-socialists in the new Duma" which will not be able to "secure Russia's advancement," adding that "only democratic parties are a guarantee for moving forward."

Grigory Yavlinsky, leader of Yabloko, said he is optimistic that his party would net more votes to overcome the 5-percent barrier after all the ballots are counted.

The 22-hour election was first launched in the Far East at 2000GMT Saturday and ended at 9 p.m. Moscow time (1800 GMT) on Sunday in the country's westernmost Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad after spanning 11 time zones.

Under Russia's electoral law, half of the parliamentary seats are shared on a proportional basis by parties winning at least 5 percent of the vote, while the rest 225 seats are up for grab in individual constituencies across the country.

Questions?Comments? Click here

Russia kicks off parliamentary election

Bush strategy: Spend now, pay later? ( 4 Messages)

"Cross-Straits relations", key to break through Taiwan's economic predicament ( 2 Messages)

Reform the United Nations now: Commentary ( 4 Messages)

Economic exchanges lead Sino-India relations: Forum ( 3 Messages)

Iran poses test for newfound Western unity ( 3 Messages)

Power, water shortages feared to continue in China ( 4 Messages)