(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The vast majority of people in Russia want the frontrunner in the country’s presidential race to take part in televised debates with his rivals, according to a poll by Yury Levada Analytical Center. 73 per cent of respondents want to see and hear Dimitry Medvedev discussing his views with opponents.

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."

Russian voters renewed the State Duma in December 2007. United Russia (YR)—whose candidate list was headed by Putin—secured 64.1 per cent of the vote and 315 of the legislature’s 450 seats. Under the country’s recently implemented proportional representation system, only three other political organizations—the Communist Party (KPRF), the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) and A Just Russia—elected lawmakers to the lower house.

In December, Putin endorsed Medvedev as a presidential candidate, and Medvedev said it would be of the "utmost importance" to have Putin as prime minister.

Medvedev has refused to participate in televised debates with other presidential candidates. On Jan. 29, Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov—Medvedev’s main rival—accused him of being intimidated by Putin’s government and scared of attending the debates, adding, "Society ought to force Medvedev to accept debates."

The next presidential election in Russia is scheduled for Mar. 2.

Polling Data

Should Dmitry Medvedev take part in televised debates with the other presidential candidates?

Source: Yury Levada Analytical Center
Methodology: Interviews with 1,600 Russian adults, conducted Jan. 18 to Jan. 22, 2008. No margin of error was provided.

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