Medvedev opposes re-run of disputed election

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (pictured) announced on his Facebook page Sunday that he disagreed with the demands made by the 50,000-strong anti-Putin protesters who are calling for a re-run of the December 4 elections. AFP - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Sunday he disagreed with demands made at nationwide protests over the weekend for a re-run of disputed legislative polls. "I disagree with the slogans and declarations made at the meetings," Medvedev wrote in his Facebook account in his first public comm.ents on Saturday's demonstrations in Moscow and other major Russian cities. The Moscow event saw more than 50,000 people demand a rerun of the December 4 polls that handed the ruling United Russia party a narrow victory amid allegations of widespread electoral fraud. Medvedev said Russians were free to express their opinions through street demonstrations as long as they do not break the law. "People have the right to express their opinion, which is what they did yesterday," Medvedev wrote. "It is a good thing that everything happened within the law." Medvedev has previously defended the poll and only issued instructions to investigate specific voting violations reported in the Russian media and by foreign election observers. The Russian president repeated in his Facebook entry on Sunday that he had "issued instructions to check all polling station reports" about possible violations.