The lower house of the Russian Parliament, the State Duma, has re-elected the Communist deputy, Gennady Seleznyov, as its speaker.

Mr Seleznyov was the only candidate after others, including former prime ministers Sergei Stepashin and Yevgeny Primakov, withdrew from the contest.

More than 100 deputies left the chamber, protesting at what they say was a deal between the Communists and the Kremlin-backed Unity movement to re-elect Mr Seleznyov.

Mr Seleznyov won 285 votes, with 294 of 450 deputies remaining in the chamber for the ballot.

The Communists remain the largest party following elections last month, but Unity performed strongly.

Co-operation

At the opening of the session, the acting President, Vladimir Putin, called for an end to years of conflict between the Duma and the Kremlin over government plans for reform.

"The executive power is prepared for fruitful co-operation with the new Duma," he said. "We must put an end to the policy of confrontation and rival ambitions."

The Communists appear eager to co-operate with Mr Putin's government, and the vote for speaker suggests that the government no longer views the Communists as a serious threat.

Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov is trailing far behind Mr Putin in the run-up to March's presidential election, according to opinion polls.

'Humiliation'

Mr Primakov's Fatherland-All Russia bloc, the social democratic Yabloko party which backs Mr Stepashin, the liberal Union of Right-wing Forces and the centrist Russia's Regions group were among those boycotting the vote.

"This is a humiliation for Russian democracy ... for our electorate," Russian Regions leader Oleg Mironov told the chamber before leading his group out.

Capable

"I shall do everything I can to ensure that this third State Duma works properly, without disruption," Mr Seleznyov said after the vote, seemingly unruffled by the unexpected withdrawal of all the other candidates at the last moment.

Mr Seleznyov, a dapper, 52-year-old former journalist, is a familiar figure for Russians from his four-year tenure in the same post during the last Duma.

As speaker, he remains number four in Russia's constitutional line-up, after the president, prime minister and speaker of the upper house Federation Council.

He has forged a reputation as a capable operator, skilled at forging compromises and shepherding an often fractious chamber through complex parliamentary procedures.