By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Moscow : The governing United Russia party has done well in the parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has said.
The party just retained a majority in the Dec 4 State Duma elections, winning 238 of 450 seats, a significant decline from the 315 seats it claimed four years ago.
Putin said 226 votes in parliament are required to pass laws, while United Russia got 238 seats. “This enables us to work calmly and consistently, ensuring stability,” he said.
“It will be no exaggeration to say that in recent years United Russia has served as a significant foundation of our political stability so its successful showing in the election is important not only for the government but for the country as a whole,” he said.
The second-placed Communist Party won 92 seats, a 30 percent increase from 2007.
President Dmitry Medvedev, who may head the new government as prime minister after he steps down as president in March, said United Russia was ready to form coalitions in the new Duma.