BBC News Online: World: Europe

Russia to curb small parties

President Vladimir Putin has presented to the Russian parliament proposals to exclude smaller political parties from standing in national and regional elections.

The measures would ban parties with fewer than ten thousand members and offices in under half of Russia's eighty-nine regions.

Mr Putin says the reforms are needed to inject stability in Russia's often fractious political life; his opponents argue that they're a deal between the Kremlin and the bigger parties -- which would qualify under the proposals for state funds, as long as they win at least three percent of the vote.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service