Russian President Vladamir Putin’s United Russia party expects a victory in Sunday elections for the country’s Lower Parliament (Duma).  According to exit polls the party is doing well against 10 smaller parties.

Several opposition leaders have accused the government of stifling dissent, and say the elections are not fair.  Opposition leader Gary Kasparov warned that the government was turning into “a dictatorship,” while Andrei Illarianov, a former Putin advisor, said the election “meets none of the criteria of a free, fair, and democratic election.”  United Russia has denied the allegations.