Voting begins for Russian presidential election

Moscow March 18 (IANS) Russians residing in the country s easternmost regions of Kamchatka and Chukotka began casting votes on Sunday to elect the next Russian president.

The polling began at 8 a.m. (Russian time) Xinhua news agency reported. At least 111 million Russian citizens are expected to cast votes to choose the country s president for the next six years Sputnik reported. The Russian nationals are electing the country s head of the state among eight contenders: Sergey Baburin from the All-People s Union party; Communist Party candidate Pavel Grudinin; incumbent Russian President Vladimir Putin; Civil Initiative party candidate Ksenia Sobchak; Communists of Russia party chairman Maxim Suraykin; Presidential Commissioner for Entrepreneurs Rights Boris Titov; co-founder of the Yabloko party Grigory Yavlinsky and head of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia Vladimir Zhirinovsky. The results of the vote will be announced on March 19. --IANS pgh/