Russia votes as Putin seeks Kremlin return

Russians are voting on Sunday to elect a president, with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin bidding to return to the Kremlin for the third time. Four other candidates, Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party head Vladimir Zhirinovsky, A Just Russia Party leader Sergei Mironov and the only independent, billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov - are also running in the March 4 vote. Russia votes as Putin seeks Kremlin return Putin, 59, who was Russia's president from 2000 to 2008 and has been prime minister since then, has led the race but may be forced into a second round if he gets less than 50 percent of the vote in the first. The winner of the vote will be inaugurated as new president in May and will serve for six years, not four as previously. The elections are taking place to the backdrop of mass demonstrations that were triggered by allegations of vote fraud in favor of Putin's United Russia party at December's parliamentary polls. None of the candidates opposing Putin represent the burgeoning protest movement, although all have - to some extent - expressed sympathy with its demands, which include a rerun of last year's vote. Election officials said just over thirty percent of voters had cast ballots by 13:00 Moscow time, a slight increase on voting by the same time at the 2008 elections, which saw victory for Putin's handpicked successor, President Dmitry Medvedev. Putin voted with his wife, Lyudmila, at a polling station at the Russian Academy of Sciences. "I had a good sleep, did some exercise, and then came here," he said. "I'm hoping for a good turnout, of course." Zyuganov, said as he was casting his ballot that he was voting for a "educated, healthy, intelligent and prosperous" Russia. The veteran Communist Party leader also said he had already received reports of alleged electoral violations, but also urged people planning to take part in protests set for Monday "to show restraint and comply with the law." Election officials said no major violations have taken place at the vote by noon Moscow time. But Russia's largest independent election watchdog, Golos, has so far listed on its website over 2,000 violations reported by members of the public. These could not be independently verified. Voting will end after polling stations close in Russia’s westernmost Kaliningrad exclave at 21:00 Moscow time on Sunday. Results of the exit polls will be announced after voting is finished, and the first preliminary official results are expected to be made public by midnight Sunday or in the early hours on Monday. Putin has ordered web cameras installed at 91,000 of Russia's 96,000 polling stations in an attempt to prevent the elections being marred by more vote fraud allegations. Webcasts from polling stations are available online and a video wall showing webcasts from polling stations across Russia was also launched on Sunday. Almost 700 international observers have arrived in Russia to monitor the elections, including from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States Council’s International Assembly, and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. An unprecedented number of Russian observers - no less than 176,000 - will also be present, including supporters each of the candidates. Around 110 million people are eligible to vote, of whom 1,813,000 are registered with consulates abroad. (Tanjug) Ria novosti

Russia votes as Putin seeks Kremlin return

Putin, 59, who was Russia's president from 2000 to 2008 and has been prime minister since then, has led the race but may be forced into a second round if he gets less than 50 percent of the vote in the first.

The winner of the vote will be inaugurated as new president in May and will serve for six years, not four as previously.

The elections are taking place to the backdrop of mass demonstrations that were triggered by allegations of vote fraud in favor of Putin's United Russia party at December's parliamentary polls.

None of the candidates opposing Putin represent the burgeoning protest movement, although all have - to some extent - expressed sympathy with its demands, which include a rerun of last year's vote.

Election officials said just over thirty percent of voters had cast ballots by 13:00 Moscow time, a slight increase on voting by the same time at the 2008 elections, which saw victory for Putin's handpicked successor, President Dmitry Medvedev.

Putin voted with his wife, Lyudmila, at a polling station at the Russian Academy of Sciences.

"I had a good sleep, did some exercise, and then came here," he said. "I'm hoping for a good turnout, of course."

Zyuganov, said as he was casting his ballot that he was voting for a "educated, healthy, intelligent and prosperous" Russia.

The veteran Communist Party leader also said he had already received reports of alleged electoral violations, but also urged people planning to take part in protests set for Monday "to show restraint and comply with the law."

Election officials said no major violations have taken place at the vote by noon Moscow time.

But Russia's largest independent election watchdog, Golos, has so far listed on its website over 2,000 violations reported by members of the public. These could not be independently verified.

Voting will end after polling stations close in Russia’s westernmost Kaliningrad exclave at 21:00 Moscow time on Sunday.

Results of the exit polls will be announced after voting is finished, and the first preliminary official results are expected to be made public by midnight Sunday or in the early hours on Monday.

Putin has ordered web cameras installed at 91,000 of Russia's 96,000 polling stations in an attempt to prevent the elections being marred by more vote fraud allegations.

Webcasts from polling stations are available online and a video wall showing webcasts from polling stations across Russia was also launched on Sunday.

Almost 700 international observers have arrived in Russia to monitor the elections, including from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States Council’s International Assembly, and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

An unprecedented number of Russian observers - no less than 176,000 - will also be present, including supporters each of the candidates.

Around 110 million people are eligible to vote, of whom 1,813,000 are registered with consulates abroad.