The pro-Kremlin United Russia Party won a crushing victory in yesterday's parliamentary elections, handing President Vladimir Putin overwhelming support in the legislature and dealing a fierce blow to the Communist Party and his liberal opponents.
Early exit polls showed United Russia taking about 35 per cent of ballots, with the communists slipping to 14 per cent and vying for second place with the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party, which regularly votes in line with the Kremlin's wishes.
The newly formed Motherland bloc - another party filled with Mr Putin's supporters - took 9 per cent, according to preliminary results, leaving the West-leaning liberals of Yabloko and the Union of Right-Wing Forces (SPS) struggling for the 5 per cent needed to take a share of the 50 per cent of seats divided according to party lists.
United Russia dominated the campaign, drawing criticism from international observers over biased television coverage, and few voters doubted victory was inevitable for a party whose slogan is "Together with the President!"
Widespread disillusionment was reflected in early figures which showed 6 per cent of voters had selected "against all" rather than any of the 23 parties vying for 450 seats in the State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament. Election officials predicted a final turnout of around 60 percent.
Russian media said voting in Chechnya passed off peacefully, with some 10,000 police officers on guard after suicide bombers attacked a train near the southern republic on Friday, killing 42 people and injuring more than 140.
