Russians vote for new president

By Michael Stott

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russians voted for a new president on Sunday in an election likely to hand victory to President Vladimir Putin's chosen successor but criticised by the opposition for a lack of real competition.

Up to 109 million registered voters were taking part in the election in the world's biggest country, including reindeer herders in the far north east near Alaska, half-naked ice swimmers in Siberia and troops at military bases in Moscow.

Exit polls and first official results were due after polls close in Russia's 11th and final time zone, the European enclave of Kaliningrad near Poland at 2000 local time (1800 GMT) Sunday.

Vladimir Churov, head of the Central Election Commission, said on state television that turnout "in almost all parts of Russia" was three to five points higher than in parliamentary elections last December, when 63.78 percent voted.

The Kremlin's candidate and the almost certain victor, 42-year-old First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, cast his ballot in the Moscow sleet on Sunday morning with his wife Svetlana, telling reporters: "I feel good. Spring has come."

A smiling Putin voted in Moscow at the Academy of Sciences with his wife Lyudmila but did not speak to reporters.

Opposition politicians denounced the election on the eve of the poll as a "farce", saying biased media coverage and harassment of challengers made the contest completely one-sided.

Even the powerful Russian Orthodox Church lent tacit support to Medvedev.