Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's United Russia Party won in the eight regions that held elections in Russia on Sunday with between 43 and 70 percent of the votes cast. But it saw support fall by between nine and 24 percentage points in six regional parliaments compared to national election results in 2007, when it scored a landslide victory.

Opposition parties said the elections were marred by widespread voting violations and complained that President Dmitry Medvedev had failed to follow through on a pledge for free and fair elections.

Around 32 million of Russia's 110 million registered voters were eligible to vote in the elections for eight regional parliaments, five city mayors and dozens of town councils. Turnout was estimated at about 43 percent nationwide, but dropped below 30 percent in several regions.

'Shocking number of violations'

Russian media quoted Putin as saying there had been "a shockingly large number of violations." Opposition groups also lodged complaints about Putin supporters manipulating votes.

Rising utility prices, low wages and growing unemployment were blamed for the United Russia Party's poor showing at the polls. The first full results were expected later on Monday.

United Russia looked set to lose one high-profile contest to a Communist candidate in the mayoral elections in the Siberian city of Irkutsk. In the run-up to the poll there had been a number of anti-government protests against rising prices and high unemployment. Viktor Kondrashov won more than 62 percent of the vote, but his United Russia opponent Sergei Serebrennikov received only 27 percent.

svs/nrt/AFP/AP/Reuters/dpa
Editor: Nancy Isenson