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2 December 2011
Russia says nowhere too remote for early voting
Euronews.net - It seems nowhere is too far to get to to ensure everyone has a chance to vote in Russia’s parliamentary election.
Officials are travelling off to far flung regions ahead of Sunday’s poll, including the Arctic, for the casting of early ballots.
Svetlana Sorokina, the head of the Local Electoral Commission, said: “Even if there’s only two people there, we still have to go there to enable them to make use of their constitutional right.”
Some political commentators say Vladimir Putin’s ruling party is likely to win the election, but will see its huge parliamentary majority cut.
They say this is a sign of growing weariness with Putin’s 12-year rule and the thought of over a decade more in power.
The prime minister upset many of his political rivals by announcing plans to swap jobs with President Dmitri Medvedev next year.
If the plan works, Putin could be in office until 2024.
Opinion polls suggest the Communist Party is likely to remain the country’s second biggest political force after this weekend’s election.
