ATHENS, December 5 (Itar-Tass) —— Russia’s United Russia and Yabloko parties are enjoying biggest support of Russian voters in European countries, according to preliminary results of the Sunday elections to the Russian State Duma, or lower house of national parliament.
Thus, in Athens, United Russia has scored 67.05 percent of the vote, head of the consular department of the Russian embassy in Athens Andrei Malanin told Itar-Tass after all the ballots were counted. The Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) won 12.5 percent; the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) – 7.3 percent; Just Russia – 6.95 percent; Yabloko – 4.28 percent; Right Cause – 0.76 percent, and Patriots of Russia – 0.48 percent. In all, a total of 1,050 took part in the polls.
According to preliminary results of voting at a polling station at the Russian embassy in Berlin, Yabloko has scored more than 30 percent of votes; United Russia – less than 25 percent; CPRF – more than 17 percent; Just Russia – more than 14 percent; the LDPR – less than six percent, the local election commission reports. A total of 2,661 voters took part in the polls in Berlin, or up by 18.79 percent on the turnout in the previous parliament elections of 2007. Electronic ballot boxes were used at polling stations in Germany.
According to the consular department of the Russian embassy in Germany, about 550,000 Russian are registered with consular service across Germany. Voting was held at 10 balloting stations accommodated at Russian diplomatic missions in Berlin, Leipzig, Bonn, Hamburg, Munich, and Frankfurt on the Main.
According to an Itar-Tass correspondent in the Hague, the opposition Yabloko party has won an overwhelming majority of the vote of Russian citizens who took part in the polls in the Netherlands. A total of 778 voters took part in the elections at two polling stations in the country, of who 400 – in the Russian embassy in the Hague, and 378 – in the Russian trade mission in Amsterdam. The figure is more than twice as much as in the previous parliamentary polls in 2007, when only 348 voters took part, head of the consular department of the Russian embassy in the Netherlands Yuri Byvykin told Itar-Tass.
Yabloko has scored 268 votes, the CPRF – 179 votes, Just Russia – 147 votes, United Russia – 106 votes, the LDPR – 45 votes, Right Cause – 18 votes, and Patriots of Russia – a mere six votes. A total of nine votes were invalid.
Meanwhile in Belgium, United Russia finished first with 30.13 percent of the vote. Next came the CPRF and Yabloko, which finished neck and neck with 20.89 and 20.60 percent respectively. Just Russia scored 15.94 percent of votes, the LDPR – 10.2 percent, Patriots of Russia – about 1.5 percent, and Right Cause – less than one percent, minister counselor of the Russian embassy in Belgium Yuri Bodrov told Itar-Tass. According to Bodrov, a total of 1,048 people cast their votes at two polling stations at the Russian embassy in Brussels and consulate general in Antwerp.
A total of 1,121 people took part in the Duma elections at four balloting stations in Spain (in Madrid, in Barcelona, in Seville, and in Las Palmas (Canary Islands). United Russia won 30 percent of votes, Yabloko – 25 percent, the CPRF – 17 percent, Just Russia – 16 percent, the LDPR – eight percent, and Right Cause – two percent, minister counselor of the Russian embassy in Spain Alexander Surikov told Itar-Tass.
United Russia has won the majority of votes in the Duma elections at polling stations in Italy. Head of the consular department of the Russian embassy in Rome Sergei Patronov told Itar-Tass the turnout in these elections was higher than in the previous polls in 2007. “Almost half of 1,066 voters in Rome, as well as in Bari, in Naples, in Florence, and in Ancona, where groups with ballot boxes were commissioned, voted for United Russia,” he said. Yabloko finished second with 186 votes. Then came the CPRF (176 votes), and Just Russia (153 votes).
Voting was organized at Russian consulates general in Genoa, Palermo, and Milan, from where groups with ballot boxes were commissioned to Verona, Turin, and Venice. About 100 Russia nationals took part in the voting in Palermo, 150 – in Genoa, and 650 – in Milan. The results are similar at all these stations. United Russia is leading the race. President of the Russian Railways Co. (RZD) Vladimir Yakunin cast his vote at the balloting station in Rome.
Yabloko scored the majority of 28.77 percent of votes (443 votes) at two polling stations in Switzerland, in Geneva and Bern. The CPRF finished second giving won 23.12 percent of the vote. Next came United Russia (22.40 percent), Just Russia (14.94 percent), the LDPR (7.53 percent), and Patriots of Russia and Right Cause (1.62 percent each). In all, 1,540 voters took part in the polls in Switzerland, of whom more than 1,200 cast their votes in Geneva.
No incidents were reported during the voting.