Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's presidential campaign said it would be willing to work with election observers from the newly formed civic group League of Voters, which was created in the wake of alleged mass falsifications by United Russia, the party Putin leads, in last year's State Duma elections.
The League, founded by a group of activists that includes author Boris Akunin and Ekho Moskvy journalist Sergei Parkhomenko, received a letter from Putin's campaign Thursday expressing support for the organization's proposal to send additional observers to voting sites for the March 4 presidential vote.
"We completely share your opinion regarding the necessity to hold fair elections for the President of the Russian Federation on March 4," the letter said, according to a copy posted on the League of Voters website.
The letter mentioned Putin's initiative to install web cameras and transparent ballot boxes at voting sites, and his announcement Wednesday that he would invite observers from the liberal Yabloko party to monitor the polls as well.
"We thank you for your proposal. We are confident that with our combined efforts, we will be able to ensure fair elections," the letter said.
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