Moscow, Dec 07: Russia began parliamentary elections this morning, with voting booths in the far eastern regions of Chukotka, Kamchatka and the South Kurile Islands opening first at 2000 GMT on Saturday because of the time difference. Almost 111 million citizens are entitled to take part in the country's fourth parliamentary polls since the 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union.

The Kremlin-backed United Russia Party was expected to gain the largest number of the 450 seats in the state Duma in Moscow, followed by the Communist Party. Only about five of 23 parties and blocs participating are expected to pass the five-per-cent threshold of votes needed for representation by party lists.

The last of the 94,000 polling stations will close at 20,00 hrs local time (2350 hrs IST) in the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea. Bureau Report