The New Nation - Internet Edition

Moscow

A Russian opposition party said on Thursday it had asked a court to disqualify Russian President Vladimir Putin from a parliamentary vote next month on the grounds his job gives him an unfair advantage.

Putin is leading the election slate of the United Russia party in the December 2 vote. His critics say the Kremlin will use its influence to manipulate the vote in the party's favor. Officials deny the allegation.

Nikita Belykh, leader of the Union of Right-Wing Forces, a small liberal opposition party, said it was filing the suit against Putin.

"Yesterday our party filed a suit with the Supreme Court asking it to exclude Vladimir Putin from United Russia's list of candidates for the parliamentary election," Belykh told a news conference.

He said the grounds for the suit were Putin's "repeated violations of the law." He alleged the Kremlin was using its administrative