residence, are expected to address the ethnic issues during the campaign and Medvedev urged them to be cautious. "We agree with Medvedev that this issue is a real powder keg in our country which has over 100 nationalities and where 28 million Muslims live," said Gennady Semigin, leader of Patriots of Russia party, after the meeting with Medvedev. REFLECT PREFERENCES Steered into the presidency in 2008 by Putin, who faced a constitutional bar on a third straight term, Medvedev has loosened electoral laws, making it slightly easier for other parties to field candidates and win seats. "I would very much like the makeup of the future Duma to reflect the preferences of the broadest circle of our citizens to the maximum extent possible," Medvedev told party leaders. Critics say the changes are cosmetic adjustments designed to appease critics of United Russia while keeping the political system intact. The vote is by party list with no races between individual candidates. The parties are now expected to compile the lists and those parties not represented in the Duma will also have to collect 150,000 signatures. Medvedev's talk of plurality seemed aimed at appealing to Russians who are tired of the primacy of United Russia, which holds a two-thirds Duma majority, large enough to change the constitution, dominating politics nationwide. United Russia's senior official, Duma speaker Boris Gryzlov, said in remarks published on Monday the party's aim is to preserve its constitutional majority. With opinion polls and regional elections showing flagging support for the 'party of power', Putin established a broad 'People's Front' earlier this year in a bid to improve its chances in the parliamentary vote. Putin has hinted he is trying to decide whether to run for a return to the presidency in March or endorse his protege Medvedev for a second term. Analysts say he may not make a decision public until after the parliamentary election. Read more: Election campaign starts in Russia Today at 09:35 | Interfax-Ukraine Moscow, August 30 (Interfax) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's decree addressing the December 4 parliamentary elections in the country was published in the Rossiiskaya
residence, are expected to address the ethnic issues during the campaign and Medvedev urged them to be cautious. "We agree with Medvedev that this issue is a real powder keg in our country which has over 100 nationalities and where 28 million Muslims live," said Gennady Semigin, leader of Patriots of Russia party, after the meeting with Medvedev. REFLECT PREFERENCES Steered into the presidency in 2008 by Putin, who faced a constitutional bar on a third straight term, Medvedev has loosened electoral laws, making it slightly easier for other parties to field candidates and win seats. "I would very much like the makeup of the future Duma to reflect the preferences of the broadest circle of our citizens to the maximum extent possible," Medvedev told party leaders. Critics say the changes are cosmetic adjustments designed to appease critics of United Russia while keeping the political system intact. The vote is by party list with no races between individual candidates. The parties are now expected to compile the lists and those parties not represented in the Duma will also have to collect 150,000 signatures. Medvedev's talk of plurality seemed aimed at appealing to Russians who are tired of the primacy of United Russia, which holds a two-thirds Duma majority, large enough to change the constitution, dominating politics nationwide. United Russia's senior official, Duma speaker Boris Gryzlov, said in remarks published on Monday the party's aim is to preserve its constitutional majority. With opinion polls and regional elections showing flagging support for the 'party of power', Putin established a broad 'People's Front' earlier this year in a bid to improve its chances in the parliamentary vote. Putin has hinted he is trying to decide whether to run for a return to the presidency in March or endorse his protege Medvedev for a second term. Analysts say he may not make a decision public until after the parliamentary election. Read more: Election campaign starts in Russia Today at 09:35 | Interfax-Ukraine Moscow, August 30 (Interfax) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's decree addressing the December 4 parliamentary elections in the country was published in the Rossiiskaya
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