Despite its apparent extremism, the parliamentary faction of Mr Zhirinovsky's Liberal Democratic Party of Russia often votes with, rather than against, the Yeltsin government, and Mr Zhirinovsky's public statements, invariably laced with dark humour, sometimes verge on self-parody.

BBC: News | Russia at the polls

Vladimir Zhirinovsky, leader of the fascist Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), frequently endorses the restoration of the historical Russia within the boundaries of the Russian empire.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Center For Security Policy