VARIOUS: Russian nationals living abroad cast ballots for a new Russian parliament

Russian citizens living abroad vote in Russia's parliamentary elections Russian citizens living abroad voted on Sunday (December 2) in a parliamentary election widely viewed as a referendum on President Vladimir Putin. Tens of thousands of Israelis who immigrated from Russia and dozens of Palestinians in the West Bank arrived at polling stations to vote. In the southern Israeli town of Ashkelon, a home for a large community of Russian immigrants, hundreds of voters have flocked to the local polling station to cast their ballot. In the occupied West Bank, a handful of Russian nationals arrived in the city of Ramallah to cat their vote. "I have been living in Ramallah for 9 years now, and this is the first time I am able to participate in the Russian elections," said Marina, a Russian citizen. "Before, it was impossible to vote because the consulate was in Gaza, and we could not go there, nor to the consulate in Tel Aviv." Alexey Pogodin, the head of Russia's mission to the Palestinian National Authority, said that only one polling station was opened for votes in the Palestinian territories. "We expect about 50 to 60 Russian citizens to participate in the elections. They are mainly from Ramallah, because people who live across the West Bank find it difficult to reach Ramallah because of tight Israeli security measures," Pogodin said. In Germany, turnout was much higher than it had been in the previous election. According to the Russian embassy, almost half a million Russians live in Germany, 35,000 of them in Berlin. "Everyone is happy with Putin, so that is why I voted for Putin," Gsell Minna said after she had cast her vote in Berlin. Increasingly marginalised opposition parties have said numerous election rule changes, heavily skewed media coverage, repeated instances of government pressure on voters and Putin's own campaigning have made the contest unfair.

ITN Source | December 2, 2007

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