Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's decision to run for a third term as president in a March 2012 vote has failed to halt a slide in support for his United Russia party ahead of State Duma elections, according to a new poll.
Only 41 percent of those polled on Oct. 8 and 9 would vote for United Russia, down from 50 percent in January 2011, the Public Opinion Foundation said.
A September poll by the independent Levada Center showed support for the party was at 57 percent, down from 60 percent in February.
The most recent poll, which surveyed 1,500 respondents across Russia, showed 52 percent of Russians "trusted" Putin compared with 43 percent who "trusted" President Dmitry Medvedev. Both numbers grew slightly in the past month.
(Reuters)
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