Russian parliament rejects no-confidence move

Russia’s lower house of parliament turned down a motion of no-confidence President Vladimir Putin's Cabinet but many MPs demonstrated their disdain for the government by boycotting the vote.

Only 112 MPs in the 450 seat State Duma backed the no-confidence motion, which needed a simple majority of 226 votes to succeed; 20 voted against and four abstained. The majority did not cast votes.

The Kremlin-directed United Russia faction, which has more than 300 seats in the Duma, has sought to distance itself from the unpopular Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov and criticised the Kremlin-sponsored social welfare reform even though it had quickly approved it last summer.

The reform has spawned massive street protests across the country.

Communists and other opposition groups have pushed for the Cabinet’s sacking over the reform, which replaced benefits such as free public transport and subsidised medicines with cash payments.