Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Sunday ordered a probe into reports of vote-fixing after the ruling party s disputed victory sparked the largest protest rallies since the 1990s.
However, he flatly rejected the idea of staging fresh elections.
Medvedev said he had told election officials to take a closer look at reports of rampant ballot-stuffing and other allegations that officials had fixed the vote count in an election the previous weekend.
"I disagree with the slogans and declarations made at the meetings," Medvedev wrote in his Facebook account, referring to the protests Saturday across Russia that alleged widespread fraud and demanded fresh polls.
"Nevertheless, I have issued instructions to check all polling station reports about (a failure) to follow election laws," Medvedev wrote.
Saturday s demonstrations near the Kremlin saw more than 50,000 people deride the outcome of December 4 elections, which were widely seen as a litmus test for Vladimir Putin s planned return to the presidency next year.
The protests were the largest to hit the Russian capital since the tumultuous 1990s and levelled some of the most intense political pressure at Putin since he first rose to the presidency in 2000.
The former KGB agent now serves as prime minister after having made Medvedev his hand-picked presidential successor in 2008.
But despite the change of post, for many observers he has remained the country s de facto leader.
Now Putin intends to return to the Kremlin for up to 12 more years in a March election that he has appeared destined to win.
But scenes similar to those witnessed Saturday in Moscow were replayed on a smaller scale across the industrial hubs of Siberia and the Urals -- a sign that Putin s path back may be more complicated than it first appeared.
Putin stayed out of the limelight at the weekend while his spokesman issued a carefully worded statement that sounded a conciliatory note.
However, he flatly rejected the idea of staging fresh elections.
Medvedev said he had told election officials to take a closer look at reports of rampant ballot-stuffing and other allegations that officials had fixed the vote count in an election the previous weekend.
"I disagree with the slogans and declarations made at the meetings," Medvedev wrote in his Facebook account, referring to the protests Saturday across Russia that alleged widespread fraud and demanded fresh polls.
"Nevertheless, I have issued instructions to check all polling station reports about (a failure) to follow election laws," Medvedev wrote.
Saturday s demonstrations near the Kremlin saw more than 50,000 people deride the outcome of December 4 elections, which were widely seen as a litmus test for Vladimir Putin s planned return to the presidency next year.
The protests were the largest to hit the Russian capital since the tumultuous 1990s and levelled some of the most intense political pressure at Putin since he first rose to the presidency in 2000.
The former KGB agent now serves as prime minister after having made Medvedev his hand-picked presidential successor in 2008.
But despite the change of post, for many observers he has remained the country s de facto leader.
Now Putin intends to return to the Kremlin for up to 12 more years in a March election that he has appeared destined to win.
But scenes similar to those witnessed Saturday in Moscow were replayed on a smaller scale across the industrial hubs of Siberia and the Urals -- a sign that Putin s path back may be more complicated than it first appeared.
Putin stayed out of the limelight at the weekend while his spokesman issued a carefully worded statement that sounded a conciliatory note.