Major Italian daily Corriere Della Sera notes the 75-year-old media magnate counts with the support of 304 deputies, 12 votes shy of the 316 needed for anabsolutemajority.
No doubt Putin worried that a Yavlinsky candidacy might attract enough votes -- even if just 10% -- that together with votes for the other four candidates might have deprived him ofanabsolutemajority in the first round of voting.