MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir PutinÂ’s anointed successor, Dmitry Medvedev, has the support of 70.4 percent of the voters and will easily win the presidential election next weekend, a poll on Thursday showed. Strongly backed by both the Kremlin and state-controlled media Medvedev, who is first deputy prime minister, leads his nearest challenger by a healthy margin, pollster VTsIOM said.Nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky is MedvedevÂ’s nearest rival with 10.7 percent support, followed by Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov at 10.3 percent, VTsIOM said.
Putin endorsed Medvedev in December, and the candidateÂ’s popularity has risen steadily ever since. Medvedev has pledged to appoint Putin prime minister if he wins the March 2 vote. Putin is serving out his second term and is constitutionally barred from running again.
Analysing data from past elections and past voter behaviour, VTsIOM also published a forecast of the likely outcome, the main guide used by the Russian media in its reporting. It predicted Medvedev would win 72.9 percent of the vote, with Zyuganov at 15 percent and Zhirinovsky at 10.9 percent. “It was very clear from the start that the candidates were searching for the undecided vote, which was more than a quarter of the electorate, and Medvedev has now got it,” said VTsIOM spokeswoman Olga Komentyuk.
Apart from Putin’s backing and his appeal for stability, Medvedev’s strong emphasis on social programmes was a key factor in winning over undecided voters, Komentyuk said. “What Russians want to avoid is the chaos and complications of the 1990s -- Medvedev offers a continuity with the stability they feel Putin has provided,” said Komentyuk.