Communist lead Unity with over 90 per cent of ballot counted

Communist lead Unity with over 90 per cent of ballot counted
AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE

MOSCOW, DECEMBER 21 : Communist Party stayed marginally ahead of the pro-Kremlin Unity Bloc with 90 per cent of the Russian ballot counted, central election committee said today.

Communists garnered 24.55 per cent of the vote compared to 23.88 per cent for unity, a party which was launched less than three months ago to bolster president Boris Yeltsin's allies in the state Duma, Interfax reported quoting the commission.

The fatherland-all Russia (OVR) faction led by ex-premier Yevgeny Primakov stood third with 11.98 per cent of votes.

The Reformist Union of Rightist Forces (SPS) picked up 8.63 per cent, the pro-Kremlin Zhirinovsky bloc 6.18 percent, and the liberal opposition Yabloko faction 5.94 per cent. The three parties were the only other groups to cross the five per cent threshold to win a seat in parliament.

Half of the Duma's 450 seats are decided by results of the party list section of the ballot, the other 250 seats being distributed through local single-mandate elections whereindependent candidates fare best.

The results have dramatically boosted the stature of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who has openly backed the Unity faction, as presidential hopefuls vie for position to succeed Boris Yeltsin in June's presidential poll.