Putin Urges Russians to Vote
Televised address comes despite almost certain victory for president's chosen successor
Vladimir Putin today urged Russians to vote in Sunday's presidential election, although the result is almost certain.
In a televised address, the president said all Russians' votes would be important.
His comments appeared to be an attempt to drawing a line under claims that the contest has been heavily tilted in favour of his chosen successor, the first deputy prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev.
Putin said the electorate's support would be important to ensure that his successor was "effective and confident". "The voice of each of you will be important in the March 2 vote," he added.
His address came after the head of the Russian electoral commission admitted that media coverage of the election had been unequal.
Vladimir Churov told the BBC that not all candidates had enjoyed equal access to the media, but said he still believed the coverage had been fair.
Putin's popularity and the Kremlin's control over broadcast media are expected to ensure an easy win for the president's chosen successor.
Critics say TV channels have given too much time to Medvedev who is expected to win by a landslide.
"That's a problem not only for our country, but I can agree that not all candidates have an equal number of news items," Churov said.
He said he had no regrets that the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe â€" the main European election monitoring body - had decided not to send an observer to monitor the vote, adding that the world would form its own opinion on the new president's legitimacy.
The three other candidates in the presidential race are Gennady Zyuganov, a communist, the ultra-nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky and Andrei Bogdanov, widely seen as a Kremlin-backed contender.
Two prominent opposition figures, Garry Kasparov, a former world chess champion, and Mikhail Kasyanov, Putin's first prime minister who later became a critic, have been barred on technicalities.
Putin has said he will take the number two post of prime minister after stepping down as required by the Russian constitution.
In a televised address, the president said all Russians' votes would be important.
His comments appeared to be an attempt to drawing a line under claims that the contest has been heavily tilted in favour of his chosen successor, the first deputy prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev.
Putin said the electorate's support would be important to ensure that his successor was "effective and confident". "The voice of each of you will be important in the March 2 vote," he added.
His address came after the head of the Russian electoral commission admitted that media coverage of the election had been unequal.
Vladimir Churov told the BBC that not all candidates had enjoyed equal access to the media, but said he still believed the coverage had been fair.
Putin's popularity and the Kremlin's control over broadcast media are expected to ensure an easy win for the president's chosen successor.
Critics say TV channels have given too much time to Medvedev who is expected to win by a landslide.
"That's a problem not only for our country, but I can agree that not all candidates have an equal number of news items," Churov said.
He said he had no regrets that the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe â€" the main European election monitoring body - had decided not to send an observer to monitor the vote, adding that the world would form its own opinion on the new president's legitimacy.
The three other candidates in the presidential race are Gennady Zyuganov, a communist, the ultra-nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky and Andrei Bogdanov, widely seen as a Kremlin-backed contender.
Two prominent opposition figures, Garry Kasparov, a former world chess champion, and Mikhail Kasyanov, Putin's first prime minister who later became a critic, have been barred on technicalities.
Putin has said he will take the number two post of prime minister after stepping down as required by the Russian constitution.
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