With polling stations shut their doors on December 19 in Russia's westernmost region of Kaliningrad, voters of the world's largest country have finished casting their ballots for a new State Duma, or lower house of parliament. Initial results from the Far East regions indicated that the pro-Kremlin Unity Party and the Communist Party are leading the polls. The Central Election Committee announced that the overall turnout have exceeded the threshold of 25 percent, which makes the voting valid according to law. Preliminary results at the national level will be available Monday morning, while the final figures are expected to be out in about 10 days. Besides Unity and the Communists, the Fatherland-All Russia Movement and the Yabloko Party are also expected to do well in their bid to clear the hurdle of 5 percent to enter the 450-seat State Duma, which will have a normal term of four years. |