Russian Prime Minister and presidential candidate Vladimir Putin remains the leader among the five candidates for presidency with 49 percent of respondents ready to vote for him, according to a public survey published by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center on Friday.
“Gennady Zyuganov (11 percent) is still in second place, Vladimir Zhirinovsky (9 percent) is in third. He is followed by Sergei Mironov (6 percent) and Mikhail Prokhorov (4 percent),” the pollster said.
The number of respondents willing to vote for Prokhorov doubled in one week. Also Mironov received two percent more potential votes. Putin, on the other hand, lost three percent of potential votes.
Putin will have to garner a minimum of 51 percent in order to avoid a runoff.
Russia’s presidential elections are slated for March 4, and Putin is seen as the most likely winner.
The other four registered candidates are moderate social democratic leader Sergei Mironov, populist firebrand Vladimir Zhirinovsky, communist leader Gennady Zyuganov and independent billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov.
