Russians voting for new president; Putin's man way ahead

Russians began voting Sunday in the country's presidential election that will see President Vladimir Putin's groomed successor, Dmitry Medvedev, take charge at the Kremlin.

Medvedev, 42, is a former law professor and the current deputy prime minister. He faces no significant opposition from the three other declared candidates — Communist Party Leader Gennady Zyuganov, nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky and Democratic Party Leader Andrei Bogdanov.

Medvedev has pledged to ask Putin to become prime minister if he wins — an offer that the man who has dominated Russia's political arena for the past eight years is sure to accept.

Putin is barred by Russia's constitution from seeking a third term as president, but it remains unclear what influence he will wield from such a position. His supporters have called for him to become a "national leader" with unspecified authority.

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