普京爲議會選舉辯護，指西方煽動

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has defended the results of the parliamentary elections earlier this month and rejected allegations of voter fraud.

Speaking live on a four-hour long televised call-in session Thursday, Mr. Putin rejected opposition calls for new elections. He accused the organizers of mass protests against the results of working for the West. He said the December 4 vote reflected the views of the people.

Police reported 20,000 people took to the streets of Moscow last Saturday, and thousands more rallied in other cities across Russia, protesting alleged fraud in parliamentary elections won by Mr. Putin's ruling United Russia party. The Russian prime minister also said the demonstrations like those following last week's parliamentary vote are acceptable as long as no laws are broken.

Mr. Putin is facing the biggest-ever challenge to his popularity, with many people asking unusually confrontational questions during the call-in session. The elections saw United Russia lose support with a reduced majority in the State Duma. Leaders of United Russia -- which has dominated Russian politics for more than a decade -- have denied cheating.

Mr. Putin said he is proposing that cameras be installed at polling stations for the upcoming presidential election in March, which he is expected to win.俄羅斯總理普京爲本月早些時候舉行的俄羅斯議會選舉的結果進行辯護，他否認選舉出現舞弊。

星期四在四個小時電視直播的連線會議上，普京拒絕反對派提出的重新舉行選舉的呼籲。他指責發動大規模示威抗議選舉結果的組織者是爲西方效力。他說，12月4 日的選舉體現了民意。

警方表示，有2萬人參加了上週六在莫斯科舉行的集會，還有數以千計民衆參加了在俄羅斯其它各城市舉行的示威。他們抗議俄羅斯議會選舉舞弊。

普京所在的執政黨統一俄羅斯黨贏得了選舉。俄羅斯總理普京還表示，只要不違反法律，類似上星期議會選舉後發生的民衆示威活動就是可以接受的。

普京的民衆支持度正面臨一場最爲嚴峻的挑戰，很多參加連現節目的民衆都向他提出十分尖銳的問題。統一俄羅斯黨得到的支持度下降，議會選舉後統一俄羅斯黨在國家杜馬中的多數地位被削弱。把持俄羅斯政壇10多年的統一俄羅斯黨領袖否認選舉舞弊。