Russia’s election chief rejects demands to step down over alleged fraud 

MOSCOW — Russia’s top election official on Thursday shrugged off protesters’ demands that he step down over alleged fraud during last month’s parliamentary ballot, saying he would listen only to the nations’ leaders.

Central Election Commission chief Vladimir Churov said on Ekho Moskvy radio that he intends to serve the remaining four years of his term. He dismissed observers’ statements that the Dec. 4 vote was manipulated to allow Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s party retain its majority in parliament, and tried to turn the tables on his critics, accusing them of forging their evidence.

The allegations of vote violations sparked Russia’s largest anti-government protests in two decades and have hurt Putin’s bid to extend his 12-year rule by reclaiming the presidency in another election in March.

(I forgot to post the link, I guess. Anyways, it’s been updated with the link)

(Source: google.com)