Former Russian speaker to step down from Duma

Longtime Russian parliament speaker Boris Gryzlov, said yesterday that he would not take his seat in the State Duma, lower house elected last week.

The decision seemed to be aimed at quelling public anger over an election that opposition parties say was rigged in the ruling party's favour. The protests following the election have badly hurt the authority of Putin who will seek a vote in March to return to the presidency.

"I decided today to reject my mandate as a deputy," Gryzlov said in remarks posted on the party's website. He added that it would "not be right to hold the post of chairman of the chamber for more than two consecutive terms".

Gryzlov has been Duma Speaker since 2003 and as chairman of United Russia's Supreme Council, Gryzlov is an especially potent symbol of a political system that Putin and his party had dominated over for a decade and more.

Voters frustrated with the dominance sharply cut United Russia's parliamentary majority in the 4 December vote. The party goes to the new Duma with 238 seats when the 450-member Duma convenes on 21 December, down from the 315 it won in 2007 elections.

According to the opposition, United Russia's official result - 49.3 per cent of the vote - was inflated by fraud.