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Local elections expected to draw millions of Russian voters

Other News Materials 14 March 2010 14:27 (UTC +04:00)
About 32 million Russians could participate in municipal elections across Russia Sunday - a vote seen by many as a referendum on Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and his United Russia party, dpa reported.
Local elections expected to draw millions of Russian voters

About 32 million Russians could participate in municipal elections across Russia Sunday - a vote seen by many as a referendum on Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and his United Russia party, dpa reported.

Elections were proceeding without a problem in the country's 31,000 polling stations, said Leonid Ivlev, deputy chief of Russia's election commission, reported the Interfax news agency. About 6,200 races will be decided by the vote, with results expected Monday.

However, opposition groups have logged complaints about voting manipulation by Putin's backers, echoing complaints about a race for Moscow's city council in October. Thousands of people had taken to the streets to protest Putin's policies.

Rising unemployment rates, low wages and pensions and rising prices for government services could all play a role in the outcome of Sunday's vote. Media reports have said many voters have grown tired of Putin's crisis management style.

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