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Kremlin-backed party leads in local polls - preliminary results

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MOSCOW, October 13 (RIA Novosti) - The ruling United Russia party is leading in Sunday's local and regional elections, the country's Central Election Commission said on Monday, citing preliminary results.

Russia held parliamentary polls in five regions - the North Caucasus republic of Chechnya, the Kemerovo Region in southwest Siberia, the Trans-Baikal Territory, the Irkutsk Region in southeast Siberia, and the Sakhalin Region in the Far East.

In Chechnya, which held early polls to elect a one-chamber legislature after the previous legislative body dissolved in June, United Russia gained 85% of the vote, according to preliminary results. The only other party to make it into the legislature was another pro-Kremlin party, A Just Russia.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Chechnya's president said turnout in the republic was close to 100%, despite being hit by an earthquake Saturday which left 13 dead and more than 100 injured.

"Chechnya has finished the creation of its main legislative body in a constitutional way, and demonstrated its desire to live in peace and prosperity. Almost 100% of the population went to the polls to express their will," Ramzan Kadyrov said.

Chechnya - which saw a devastating separatist war in the 1990s and early 2000s, but is currently undergoing extensive reconstruction - has reported record-high turnouts in central elections in recent years.

Chechen officials reported a turnout of over 90% in Russian presidential polls in March, and around 99% during December's elections to the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, with almost all the votes having been cast for United Russia.

In Kemerovo, the dominant party scored about 85% of the vote, in the Baikal area and Sakhalin 55%, and about 50% in Irkutsk.

Rights groups and international monitors have reported unfair media access for political groups and other irregularities during election campaigns in Russia in recent years. Western powers have criticized the Kremlin over what they say are increasingly totalitarian policies.

Election officials said on Monday United Russia candidates were also leading in Sunday's municipal and mayoral elections in regions and cities across the country.

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