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PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, Russia, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Russiancitizens living in the country's easternmost regions of Kamchatkaand Chukotka, began casting ballots to vote for the next presidenton Sunday.

As Russia's vast territory encompasses nine time zones, votingfirst began in its Far Eastern regions, including Kamchatka andChukotka, at 8:00 a.m. local time (20:00 GMT Saturday), whilevoters in other parts of the Russian territory still have to waitfor several hours to vote.

Voters in Kaliningrad, the westmost exclave of Russia, will bethe last to go to the polls, which will close at 20:00 (1800 GMT)p.m. local time on Sunday.

According to Ella Pamfilova, the head of the Russian CentralElection Commission (CEC), some 110 million Russian citizens areeligible to vote, about 1.89 million of them live abroad. There aremore than 97,000 domestic polling stations, and more than 400overseas stations.

The voting procedure will be monitored by about 1,500international observers from 109 countries.

The eight candidates running for the election are incumbentRussian President Vladimir Putin, who participates as anindependent candidate, Vladimir Zhirinovsky from the LiberalDemocratic Party of Russia (LDPR), and businessman Pavel Grudininnominated by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF).Other candidates include Grigory Yavlinsky from Yabloko party,leader of the Party of Growth Boris Titov, head of the RussianAll-People Union Sergey Baburin, TV host Ksenia Sobchak and head ofthe Communists of Russia Maxim Suraikin.

Two days before the voting day, Russian incumbent presidentPutin in a special address to voters called on Russian citizens togo to the polling stations and choose a president for the future ofRussia.

Under the constitution of the Russian Federation, the presidentshall be elected for a six-year term directly by eligible citizens.Any Russian citizen aged 35 years old and above, who has resided inRussia for no less than 10 years and does not hold citizenship orright of residence in another country, can be elected president.Enditem