Communists may pull out of Russia election
The head of Russia’s biggest opposition party is considering dropping
out of the race against Kremlin front-runner Dmitry Medvedev to be the
next president, a newspaper reported on Wednesday.
Opinion polls indicate Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov has
little chance of winning the March 2 election but if he were to pull out
it would create an awkward image problem for the Kremlin by making the
contest look one-sided.
The Vedomosti newspaper said it had been told by several members of
the Communist Party’s ruling Central Committee that 63-year-old Zyuganov
was seriously contemplating taking his name off the ballot paper.
The newspaper’s sources said many in the party felt it was pointless
taking part because the election would be unfair. Zyuganov has
repeatedly complained about a pro-Kremlin slant in coverage on the main
television stations.
Officials deny any bias and say they are committed to holding a free
and fair vote. Analysts say Zyuganov is also concerned that a weak
showing in the presidential election could later leave him vulnerable to
a challenge from rivals for the party leadership.
Medvedev, a 42-year-old ally of outgoing President Vladimir Putin, is
expected to dominate the election. His campaign has been buoyed by an
endorsement from the popular Putin, which makes his victory a
near-certainty.
Moscow, Wednesday, Reuters
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