- News>
- World
Russians cast ballots for electing Lower House of Parliament
Moscow, Dec 07: In a vote overshadowed by a recent train bombing that killed over 40 people near war-torn republic of Chechnya, Russians today began casting ballots for a 450-member Lower House of Parliament with the Kremlin hoping to strengthen its grip on the legislature.
Moscow, Dec 07: In a vote overshadowed by a recent train bombing that killed over 40 people near war-torn republic of Chechnya, Russians today began casting ballots for a 450-member Lower House of Parliament with the Kremlin hoping to strengthen its grip on the legislature.
As the polling stretched over 11 times zones, President Vladimir Puin And his wife Ludmila were the early voters at the polling station situated in the Institute of Chemical
Physics near Moscow State University.
"We didn't sleep most of the night because Vladimir's beloved Labrador Kony gave birth to eight puppies," Ludmila told reporters when asked why the first couple came so early for casting votes.
Putin, however, declined to disclose for whom he cast his votes, saying, "My sympathies are well known," in an obvious reference to his recent interview where he expressed backing for pro-Kremlin United Russia Party which is expected to make gains in the elections for the State Duma (Lower House of Parliament).
Ex-President Boris Yeltsin also cast his vote at one of the Moscow polling booths. When asked for whom he cast his vote, Yeltsin said, "For the young, who are having a hard time, but to whom the future belongs," obviously referring to his sympathies for the union of rightist forces.
In Russia's Far Eastern parts where the voting began at 8 am local time when it was still Saturday night in Moscow, the voter turnout is reported to be high to medium.
In Chukotka, which borders the US' Alaska, average turnout was 60 per cent at the close.
In Kamchatka, the turnout was 44.24 per cent, while in Koryak autonomous region 56.51 per cent voters had cast their ballots by the closing time.
"The voter turnout throughout the country will not be less than the last elections in 1999, which was 62 per cent," Chief Election Commissioner Alexander Veshnyakov told a television network.
He said that CEC has online information about the pace of voting throughout the country spread over 11 time zones.
"I can see that Moscow and St Petersburg are waking up," he added.
By 12.30 (1500 hrs IST) up to eight per cent voters had voted in war-ravaged region of Chechnya, where a school housing a polling booth in remote Itum-Kala mountain hamlet was set on fire by militants.
The election comes two days after a suicide bombing on a commuter train killed 42 people and injured scores in southern Russia, near war-torn republic of Chechnya. Bureau Report
"We didn't sleep most of the night because Vladimir's beloved Labrador Kony gave birth to eight puppies," Ludmila told reporters when asked why the first couple came so early for casting votes.
Putin, however, declined to disclose for whom he cast his votes, saying, "My sympathies are well known," in an obvious reference to his recent interview where he expressed backing for pro-Kremlin United Russia Party which is expected to make gains in the elections for the State Duma (Lower House of Parliament).
Ex-President Boris Yeltsin also cast his vote at one of the Moscow polling booths. When asked for whom he cast his vote, Yeltsin said, "For the young, who are having a hard time, but to whom the future belongs," obviously referring to his sympathies for the union of rightist forces.
In Russia's Far Eastern parts where the voting began at 8 am local time when it was still Saturday night in Moscow, the voter turnout is reported to be high to medium.
In Chukotka, which borders the US' Alaska, average turnout was 60 per cent at the close.
In Kamchatka, the turnout was 44.24 per cent, while in Koryak autonomous region 56.51 per cent voters had cast their ballots by the closing time.
"The voter turnout throughout the country will not be less than the last elections in 1999, which was 62 per cent," Chief Election Commissioner Alexander Veshnyakov told a television network.
He said that CEC has online information about the pace of voting throughout the country spread over 11 time zones.
"I can see that Moscow and St Petersburg are waking up," he added.
By 12.30 (1500 hrs IST) up to eight per cent voters had voted in war-ravaged region of Chechnya, where a school housing a polling booth in remote Itum-Kala mountain hamlet was set on fire by militants.
The election comes two days after a suicide bombing on a commuter train killed 42 people and injured scores in southern Russia, near war-torn republic of Chechnya. Bureau Report