RUSSIA: Prime Minister Vladimir Putin casts his vote in parliamentary elections that are widely seen as a test for his ruling party, United Russia

Record ID: 327642

  • Title: RUSSIA: Prime Minister Vladimir Putin casts his vote in parliamentary elections that are widely seen as a test for his ruling party, United Russia
  • Date: 5th December 2011
  • Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (DECEMBER 4, 2011) (REUTERS) (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) VOTERS QUEUING TO REGISTER ELECTION OFFICIALS SECURITY PERSONNEL AND VOTERS WAITING INSIDE POLLING STATION VOTERS REGISTERING RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER VLADIMIR PUTIN ENTERS POLLING STATION WITH SECURITY ENTOURAGE CAMERAMAN PUTIN WALKS FROM REGISTRATION DESK TO VOTING BOOTH PUTIN LEAVES POLLING BOOTH, TALKS TO POLLING STATION OFFICIAL ON HIS WAY TO BALLOT BOX PUTIN WALKS TO BALLOT BOX AND CASTS BALLOT, ANSWERING REPORTER'S QUESTIONS -REPORTER ASKS ' HOW ARE YOU FEELING ? PUTIN ANSWERS 'I AM FEELING GOOD', REPORTER ASKS 'WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING FROM THE ELECTION?' PUTIN SAYS ' GOOD RESULTS FOR UNITED RUSSIA' PUTIN CHATS WITH REPORTERS, WAVES AND LEAVES VOTERS CASTING BALLOTS
  • Embargoed: 20th December 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Russian Federation
  • Country: Russia
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAALZS94O48IFS4A5DEJ3YST68I
  • Story Text: Vladimir Putin, Russia's Prime Minister and most powerful politician turned out to vote on Sunday (December 4) in parliamentary elections that are widely considered to be a test for his ruling party, United Russia.
    Putin joined voters who cast their ballots at polling stations from the Pacific to the Baltic coasts in the world's biggest country.
    He is said to have restored central control and revived the economy in his 2000-2008 presidency. He remains by far the most popular politician in the country but there are signs Russians may be wearying of a cultivated strong man image.
    Opinion polls show that United Russia is likely to win a majority but less than the 315 seats it currently has in the 450-seat lower house of parliament, the State Duma.
    Supporters say Putin, a former-KGB spy, saved Russia during his presidency from the chaos of the immediate post-Soviet era and supplied the longest and steepest economic expansion in a generation.
    He also used military force to crush a rebellion in the southern Muslim region of Chechnya that tested the fabric of a federation spanning 9,000 Km (5,600 miles).
    If Putin's party gets less than two-thirds of seats, it would be stripped of its so called constitutional majority which allows it to change the Constitution and even approve the impeachment of the president. Opposition parties say the election is unfair because the authorities support the United Russia with cash and television air time. They also predict vote rigging to boost the United Russia.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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