Putin defends parliamentary elections results

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin defended the results of the parliamentary elections again on Tuesday, saying a rerun was impossible.

Speaking to supporters from his All Russia Popular Front, Putin said the elections on Dec. 4 were over and Russia's new State Duma, or the lower house of parliament, already started to work last Wednesday.

"Any talk about reviewing the results of the elections are impossible, except one way, a court appeal," Putin said.

The prime minister also blasted the opposition's participation in recent mass protests against alleged election fraud, saying the opposition has neither common goals, nor intelligible programs, nor leaders "to do anything particular."

"This is why (the opposition) attempts to devalue and undermine the legitimacy of everything that happened in the elections sphere," Putin said.

He also promised that the upcoming presidential elections in March will be "transparent" and proposed to use the Internet to monitor the vote.

"Let everything be transparent," Putin said, adding that he did not need any forged results, for he "trusts the people." "If there is no trust, there is no sense to work (as President)."

The prime minister is widely expected to win the elections next year.

Last weekend, tens of thousands of people protested against the alleged vote fraud in the Duma elections, in which Putin's ruling United Russia party has gained 238 out of the 450 seats and kept a majority in the new State Duma.

Three other parties, the Communist Party, A Just Russia and the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia also entered the lower house.