Moscow - A Communist no-confidence vote in Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov's government failed by a wide margin in Russia's lower house of parliament yesterday.
Mr Kasyanov, in office since last May, did not turn up at the session of the State Duma, where many deputies refused to back the Communist motion but still criticised his government. President Putin was on a brief skiing break in Siberia. Only 127 members voted in favour, far short of the 226 votes needed to pass in the 450-seat assembly.
