Putin may win first ballot - expert

Vladimir Putin may win the first ballot in March, the head of the Social and Political Research Department of the independent Levada polling center, Boris Dubin, believes.

According to recent polls, some 67 percent of Russians oppose the "no vote for Putin" slogan promoted by Russian opposition groups, while 22 percent support it and 11 percent have no position on the matter.

This means that Vladimir Putin has a good chance of winning the first round. However, Dubin admits that the political situation is changing and the prime minister's rating may drop.

Russian polling centers say from 42 to 52 per cent of voters will support Vladimir Putin at the coming presidential elections. In Russia a presidential candidate has to receive more than 50 per cent of votes to win the first ballot.