Society

19:26, 02.12.2007 | Far East Russia

Parliamentary elections have begun in Russia's Far East, amid tight security.

The first people to vote were those in Chukotka on the border with the US state of Alaska and on the Kamtschatka Peninsula. The last polling stations will close in the exclave of Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea late on Sunday. Russian liberals have accused President Vladimir Putin of abusing his power and said the authorities were intimidating his opponents in the run-up to the election, which is expected to cement his grip on power. Putin's United Russia party is expected to win by a landslide, enabling Putin to exert political influence even after stepping down as president next year. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has criticised the elections, citing the limited numbers of election observers who will be present.