The first results from a round of Russian...
the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area in northwest Siberia, where all ballots have been already counted, the party did better with 64% of the vote.In the Khabarovsk Territory in the Far East, the Altai Republic and Kurgan Region in southern Siberia, and in the Sverdlovsk Region in the Urals, the party managed only about 48%, 44%, 41% and 40%, respectively.
United Russia is, however, leading in each of the regional legislative polls, followed by the Communists, Liberal Democrats (LDPR) and the A Just Russia party, which exchanged second, third and fourth places in different regions.
Leading Russian business daily Kommersant quoted on Monday a source in United Russia"s leadership as saying preliminary results "look like a wave of protest voting," with people supporting anyone but the ruling "power."
Political scientist Boris Makarenko told the paper the first results demonstrated a trend towards an increasing opposition presence in Russia"s local legislatures.