Monitors condemn Russian election
President Putin faces election himself in March
Russia's parliamentary elections have failed to meet many democratic criteria, international observers say.
Sunday's poll was "overwhelmingly distorted" by pro-government bias, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe said.
In Washington, a White House spokesman said "we share those concerns" and called for further political reform.
With more than 98% of the votes counted, the pro-Kremlin United Russia Party is leading the poll with 37.1%.
The Communists took second place with 12.7%, followed by the ultra-nationalist party of Vladimir Zhirinovsky at 11.6%, according to preliminary results, Central Election Commission Chairman Alexander Veshnyakov told reporters.
Two liberal, pro-free market parties, the Union of Right Forces (SPS) and Yabloko, failed to get the 5% of votes needed to win party list seats in the State Duma, Mr Veshnyakov said.
At a news conference in Moscow, the OSCE - who had about 400 observers in Russia - said the elections called into question Moscow's commitment to Western standards of democracy.
The organisation criticised the biased use of taxpayer money and state television to promote certain parties.
"Our main impression of the overall electoral process was... one of regression in the democratisation of this country," said Bruce George, president of the parliamentary assembly of the OSCE.
"In this election the enormous advantage of incumbency and access to state equipment, resources and buildings led to the election result being overwhelmingly distorted."
"It's the shared and unanimous view that these deficiencies called into question Russia's willingness to move towards European and international standards for democratic elections," he said.
In Washington, President George W Bush's spokesman referred to the importance of "Russian legislators dedicating themselves to pushing through the political and economic reform agenda".
'Shameful farce'
But President Vladimir Putin has hailed the State Duma election as "another step in strengthening democracy" in Russia.
Experts say Mr Putin now seems assured of gaining a second term in presidential elections next March.
If United Russia and its allies are gain a two-thirds majority, they would be able to amend the Russian constitution, potentially paving the way for Mr Putin to stand for a third term as president.
Russian election factfile
At-a-glance
Twenty-three parties were competing for half of the 450 places in the State Duma of parliament, in the fourth such election since the collapse of communism in the early 1990s.
The other 225 seats were being contested by individual candidates on a first-past-the-post basis, where United Russia candidates were also expected to dominate, Russian experts say.
Election officials put voter turnout at about 56%, compared with 53.9% recorded during the last Duma vote in 1999.
The figure was well above the 25% mark needed to validate the poll.
The election will decide the make-up of the Duma for the next four years.
Earlier, Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov denounced the elections as a "shameful farce".
"You are all participants here in a revolting spectacle which for some reason is called an election," he said after exit polls were published.
"We are living in an authoritarian regime," said Yabloko leader Grigory Yavlinsky, adding that the presidential administration had used all its resources to bring about United Russia's victory.
More than 1,100 international observers from 48 states were accredited for the election.
Boost for Putin
The BBC's Stephen Dalziel says the slight polarisation in voting for the two second place parties does not necessarily spell trouble for Mr Putin.
Mr Zhirinovsky's misleadingly-named Liberal Democrats will be expected to support the president on most of his decisions as they did in his last parliament, he says.
But the result is being seen as a major defeat for the Communists, who have been a dominant force in the Duma for the past decade and were considered the greatest threat to the Kremlin.
Mr Putin is also likely to be boosted by the success of the Motherland Party, which is expected to come fourth with about 9% despite being set up only a few months ago.
Analysts say Motherland was created by Kremlin insiders with the aim of taking away votes from the Communists.
'Serious victory'
Mr Veshnyakov, the central election chief, has promised to publish results from across the country's 11 time zones on the internet within 24 hours of polling stations closing.
Lyubov Sliska, a senior figure in United Russia, said the result meant democratic reforms would continue.
"This is a serious victory we can rightly be proud of," she said.
Our correspondent says that if Mr Putin has a Duma which largely supports him, it will be more difficult for any challenger in the presidential elections next March.
After nearly four years in the Kremlin, Mr Putin, the former head of the secret police, still appears to be riding a wave of genuine support.
The hard line his administration has taken against corruption and wealthy oligarchs has gone down well with voters.
Russia's parliamentary elections have failed to meet many democratic criteria, international observers say.
Sunday's poll was "overwhelmingly distorted" by pro-government bias, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe said.
In Washington, a White House spokesman said "we share those concerns" and called for further political reform.
With more than 98% of the votes counted, the pro-Kremlin United Russia Party is leading the poll with 37.1%.
The Communists took second place with 12.7%, followed by the ultra-nationalist party of Vladimir Zhirinovsky at 11.6%, according to preliminary results, Central Election Commission Chairman Alexander Veshnyakov told reporters.
Two liberal, pro-free market parties, the Union of Right Forces (SPS) and Yabloko, failed to get the 5% of votes needed to win party list seats in the State Duma, Mr Veshnyakov said.
At a news conference in Moscow, the OSCE - who had about 400 observers in Russia - said the elections called into question Moscow's commitment to Western standards of democracy.
The organisation criticised the biased use of taxpayer money and state television to promote certain parties.
"Our main impression of the overall electoral process was... one of regression in the democratisation of this country," said Bruce George, president of the parliamentary assembly of the OSCE.
"In this election the enormous advantage of incumbency and access to state equipment, resources and buildings led to the election result being overwhelmingly distorted."
"It's the shared and unanimous view that these deficiencies called into question Russia's willingness to move towards European and international standards for democratic elections," he said.
In Washington, President George W Bush's spokesman referred to the importance of "Russian legislators dedicating themselves to pushing through the political and economic reform agenda".
'Shameful farce'
But President Vladimir Putin has hailed the State Duma election as "another step in strengthening democracy" in Russia.
Experts say Mr Putin now seems assured of gaining a second term in presidential elections next March.
If United Russia and its allies are gain a two-thirds majority, they would be able to amend the Russian constitution, potentially paving the way for Mr Putin to stand for a third term as president.
Russian election factfile
At-a-glance
Twenty-three parties were competing for half of the 450 places in the State Duma of parliament, in the fourth such election since the collapse of communism in the early 1990s.
The other 225 seats were being contested by individual candidates on a first-past-the-post basis, where United Russia candidates were also expected to dominate, Russian experts say.
Election officials put voter turnout at about 56%, compared with 53.9% recorded during the last Duma vote in 1999.
The figure was well above the 25% mark needed to validate the poll.
The election will decide the make-up of the Duma for the next four years.
Earlier, Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov denounced the elections as a "shameful farce".
"You are all participants here in a revolting spectacle which for some reason is called an election," he said after exit polls were published.
"We are living in an authoritarian regime," said Yabloko leader Grigory Yavlinsky, adding that the presidential administration had used all its resources to bring about United Russia's victory.
More than 1,100 international observers from 48 states were accredited for the election.
Boost for Putin
The BBC's Stephen Dalziel says the slight polarisation in voting for the two second place parties does not necessarily spell trouble for Mr Putin.
Mr Zhirinovsky's misleadingly-named Liberal Democrats will be expected to support the president on most of his decisions as they did in his last parliament, he says.
But the result is being seen as a major defeat for the Communists, who have been a dominant force in the Duma for the past decade and were considered the greatest threat to the Kremlin.
Mr Putin is also likely to be boosted by the success of the Motherland Party, which is expected to come fourth with about 9% despite being set up only a few months ago.
Analysts say Motherland was created by Kremlin insiders with the aim of taking away votes from the Communists.
'Serious victory'
Mr Veshnyakov, the central election chief, has promised to publish results from across the country's 11 time zones on the internet within 24 hours of polling stations closing.
Lyubov Sliska, a senior figure in United Russia, said the result meant democratic reforms would continue.
"This is a serious victory we can rightly be proud of," she said.
Our correspondent says that if Mr Putin has a Duma which largely supports him, it will be more difficult for any challenger in the presidential elections next March.
After nearly four years in the Kremlin, Mr Putin, the former head of the secret police, still appears to be riding a wave of genuine support.
The hard line his administration has taken against corruption and wealthy oligarchs has gone down well with voters.
publicado por MP às 18:15
