Russia braces for parliamentary elections
Sunday, 4 December 2011
MOSCOW, Dec 3, (AFP): Russians prepared Saturday for parliamentary elections amid dwindling support for the ruling United Russia party and unprecedented pressure on election observers.
Voting in the world's largest country began at 2000 GMT Saturday in the Russian Far East regions and end 21 hours later when polling stations close at 1700 GMT Sunday in the exclave of Kaliningrad wedged between Poland and Lithuania.
Police were on high alert ahead of the polls and the expected subsequent protests, with Moscow parking lots cleared out around polling stations and over 50,000 officers mobilised to ensure order through the weekend.