Q&A: The Russian Electoral System

How many MPs are in the Duma and how are they elected?

There are 450 MPs or "deputies" in the State Duma lower house of parliament. In the outgoing Duma, half of them were elected by proportional representation and half, like MPs in the UK, from single mandate districts. About 100 of the latter were initially independents or from small parties, although many later joined pro-Kremlin factions.

From this year, according to new legislation initiated by President Vladimir Putin and adopted in 2005, deputies will be chosen by proportional representation only, according to lists of candidates drawn up by the parties. Any party getting more than 7% of all the votes made will get seats according to its share of the total.

The ballots given to parties getting less than 7% of the vote will be distributed proportionally among those who do clear the threshold.

This means the parties that do clear the threshold - particularly the Kremlin-controlled United Russia - will get a much bigger share of the seats than their real poll support implies.

The threshold was raised to 7% from 5% as a means of excluding minor parties.

How important is the State Duma?

The State Duma as an institution is weak vis-a-vis the presidency. It has extremely low levels of trust and respect among Russians. In a recent survey by the independent Levada Center 37% of those polled thought Russia could do without the Duma.

The new Duma is certain to remain dominated by the United Russia party and as such will act as a legislative sledgehammer for Kremlin initiatives.

Its actions will be tightly controlled by the presidential administration. Boris Gryzlov, the leader of United Russia and speaker of the parliament, once said famously that the Duma was "not a place for discussion".

How and when is the president of Russia elected?

The Russian presidential election takes place every four years, in a cycle that places it three months after the parliamentary elections.

All candidates must be over 35, must have lived in the country for 10 years and cannot hold citizenship of another country. Candidates can be nominated by parties entering the Duma or by collection of 2m signatures in support.

If a candidate gets more than 50% of the vote in the first round he is declared the winner. If not, there will be a run-off between the two strongest candidates. In 2000 and 2004, Putin won an absolute majority in the first round.

Under the constitution, Russia's president dominates executive power.

Neither of Russia's two post-Soviet presidents, Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin, was a member of any political party. They preferred to stay above the fray, positioning themselves as a higher authority who could publicly blame the government and the Duma for the country's ills. Putin is heading the party list of United Russia despite not being a member of the party.

The president of Russia can only serve two consecutive terms. A third non-consecutive term is not ruled out. Putin finishes his second term in the spring but there has been speculation that a puppet president may be shoehorned in and then "fall ill" and resign, allowing Putin to stand again in a matter of months.

What about local governors?

The direct popular election of the executive heads of Russia's then 89 (now 85 after mergers) regions was ended by Putin after the Beslan school siege in autumn 2004. He said the move was part of a package of measures to help combat terrorism.

Governors are now appointed or removed by the president, with the approval of local legislatures, which are dominated by pro-Kremlin forces.