UNITED RUSSIA WINS RECORD NUMBER OF SEATS

MOSCOW, SEPTEMBER 21 /SRNA/ - The United Russia party won a record number of seats in the Russian State Duma, the Central Election Commission of Russia said today.

According to preliminary results, United Russia is set to win 355 of the 450 seats in parliament, and the party was represented by 310 deputies in the previous Duma, RIA Novosti reported.

According to the latest vote count, United Russia won 57.97 percent of the vote on party lists and prevailed in 208 of the 225 single-member constituencies.

Three other parties also surpassed the five-percent threshold: the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, with 13.65 percent of the vote; the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, with 8.96 percent; and the New People party, with 7.9 percent. A Just Russia won 5.13 percent of the vote.

Elections for deputies of the ninth State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, were held in Russia from September 18 to 20.