(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Sergei Ivanov, a former defence minister, remains the most popular contender in the early stages of Russia's presidential race, according to a poll by the Yury Levada Analytical Center. 36 per cent of respondents would vote for Ivanov in the 2008 election.

Deputy prime minister Dmitry Medvedev is second with 34 per cent, followed by Communist Party (KPRF) leader Gennady Zyuganov with 12 per cent, and Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky also with 12 per cent. Any "liberal candidate" would be backed by three per cent of respondents. Support is lower for Sergei Glazyev of For a Dignified Life, and former Motherland - National Patriotic Union (MDRT) leader Dmitri Rogozin.

Vladimir Putin was elected to a second term as president in March 2004 with 71.31 per cent of all cast ballots. In April 2005, Putin ruled out seeking a new mandate, saying, "I will not change the constitution and in line with the constitution, you cannot run for president three times in a row." The next presidential election in Russia is tentatively scheduled for March 2008.

Medvedev has served as deputy prime minister since November 2005, and Ivanov was appointed to the same position—and relieved of his duties as defence minister—in February. Both have been identified as the Kremlin's main contenders in the election. In a prospective run-off scenario, Ivanov holds an eight-point advantage over Medvedev.

Earlier this month, Ivanov defended the Russian government's decision to deploy strategic bombers on long-range flights, claiming Russian pilots need to "acquire professional experience", and adding, "This isn't connected with thinking in terms of blocs or conflicts, let along a return to the Cold War. This is an ordinary working situation. There are no conflicts. We are flying by the same transparent, understandable rules as our American partners."

Polling Data

If the following candidates participated in the 2008 presidential election, who would you vote for?
(Likely voters)

If Medveded and Ivanov reached a run-off, who would you vote for?

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