The former Russian Prime Minister, Yevgeny Primakov, has announced that he's dropping out of the country's presidential elections next month.

His decision is seen as making it even more likely that the acting president, Vladimir Putin will win.

Mr Primakov said he'd decided to step aside after Mr Putin struck a deal with the Communists to make one of their leading figures Speaker of the lower house of parliament.

Mr Primakov said Russia was far from being a true democracy.

A BBC correspondent in Moscow said Mr Primakov was a leading presidential contender until the meteoric rise in the popularity of Mr Putin.

Our correspondent says none of the other candidates, including the Communist leader Gennady Zyugganov, are expected to be able to dent Mr Putin's chances.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service