Pro-Kremlin party leads in polls

United Russia dismissed opposition accusations of widespread cheating

Preliminary results from Sunday's regional elections in Russia show the governing United Russia party scored big wins despite the economic downturn.

It is leading by large margins in all nine regional parliament elections, as well as in a number of municipal polls.

The Communist Party had been seen as well placed to benefit from voter dissatisfaction, but it is coming a distant second in many of the contests.

However, opposition officials have complained of widespread cheating.

They said United Russia, which is led by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, was using its control of the country's media to sway voters.

The Central Election Commission said it had found no violations of electoral law capable of influencing the vote.

'Shortcomings'

About a fifth of Russia's eligible voters were able to take part in Sunday's elections, which saw trial voting by internet in five regions.

Votes were cast in 79 of the Russian Federation's 83 territories. Cities that were electing mayors included Novosibirsk in Siberia and Chelyabinsk in the Urals. However, the two biggest cities, Moscow and St Petersburg, did not vote.

I believe that the current economic crisis will not damage social stability so severely Russian President Dmitry Medvedev

Turnout was 55.7%, up slightly on the last comparable vote, Central Election Commission chairman Vladimir Churov said on Monday.

Preliminary results showed United Russia leading in most regions. Support for the party ranged from 42.5% in the Arctic Nenets district to 79.5% in the Muslim republic of Tatarstan, according to the Reuters news agency.

Figures on mayoral and district council votes were not immediately available.

Communist Party leaders said the official figures did not tally with their own calculations and expressed "great doubt" about the elections' legiticmacy.

Votes were cast in 79 of the Russian Federation's regions

"When in Bryansk, for example, workers were forced to work on a Sunday and vote on site at a polling station controlled by the authorities, you can't call that an election," central committee member Sergei Obukhov told Reuters.

Vladimir Zhirinovsky, leader of the ultra-nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), also protested at the interference of the authorities in the activities of his party's local representatives ahead of Sunday's polls.

"There are shortcomings causing our indignation and irritation," he said.

The Communist Party had been expected take advantage of increasing dissatisfaction among many Russian voters caused by falling wages and rising unemployment, which is at its highest level for two and a half years.

But the election showed no significant swing towards the Communists.