Russian election: Moscow braced for fresh protests

Moscow is braced for what the opposition claims will be the biggest demonstration in Russia for 20 years.

Tens of thousands are expected to gather in a square south of the Kremlin, in the latest show of anger over disputed parliamentary polls.

Smaller rallies are due to take place in cities across the country.

The protesters allege Sunday's elections - which gave Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's ruling United Russia party a small lead - were fraudulent.

Hundreds of people have been arrested during anti-Putin protests over the past week, mainly in Moscow and St Petersburg.

'School classes extended'

At least 50,000 police and riot troops have been deployed in Moscow ahead of Saturday's protests.

The opposition says it is hoping for a turnout of 30,000 in the capital in the demonstration dubbed "For Fair Elections", due to begin at 14:00 (10:00 GMT).

The BBC's Daniel Sandford in Moscow says that if the protests come even close to expectations, they will shake the 12-year-long political domination of Mr Putin.

The authorities agreed to allow Saturday's demonstrations to go ahead following negotiations with opposition leaders.

The two sides reached a deal in which Moscow would allow a high-turnout if the rally was relocated from downtown Revolution Square to Bolotnaya Square, a narrow island in the Moscow River.

The official results of the elections to Russia's Duma showed that the ruling party United Russia lost 77 of its 315 seats, just retaining a small majority.

But there is a widespread view, fuelled by mobile phone videos, and accounts on internet social networking sites that there was wholesale election fraud, and that Mr Putin's party cheated its way to victory, our correspondent says.

On Friday, the presidential Council for Human Rights advising Mr Medvedev said the reports of vote-rigging were of deep concern, and that the elections should be rerun if they were confirmed.

However the council has no power to order a fresh ballot, correspondents say.

Earlier this week, security experts said attempts had been made to counter online dissent in Russia, with hijacked PCs being used to drown out online chat on Twitter.

Analysis of the many pro-Kremlin messages posted to some discussions suggested they were sent by machines, according to security firm Trend Micro.

Mr Putin, who was president between 2000 and 2008, is widely predicted to win a presidential election in March.

On Thursday, he blamed the US for stoking the recent unrest, after Secretary of State Hilary Clinton expressed reservations over the poll.

The prime minister said Mrs Clinton's remarks had "set the tone for some opposition activists".

Appeals for calm after disputed DR Congo election

There have been appeals for calm in the Democratic Republic of Congo following the victory of President Joseph Kabila in disputed elections.

Main opposition candidate Etienne Tshisekedi has rejected official results and declared himself the winner, raising fears of violence.

Mr Tshisekedi along with the EU, the US, Britain, France and former colonial power Belgium appealed for calm.

Riot police are patrolling the capital, Kinshasa, and gunshots have been heard.

Columns of smoke were seen rising over districts backing Mr Tshisekedi as groups of young men burned tyres.

Meanwhile, in areas loyal to President Kabila, residents cheered and supporters staged victory parades.

"I reject these results, and in fact I see them as a provocation against our people," said 78-year-old Mr Tshisekedi.

"It is scandalous and vulgar. We have done our own calculations and I received 54% to Kabila's 26%. His term is finished. I am the president."

Mr Tshisekedi later appealed to his supporters to "stay calm and peaceful".

However, he added that he was waiting to see if diplomatic efforts would change the situation.

The army says it has about 20,000 soldiers on standby in Kinshasa. The atmosphere in the city is said to be tense.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for "any differences regarding the provisional results of the polls to be resolved peacefully through available legal and mediation mechanisms".

The French Foreign Ministry appealed for peace, saying: "France calls on all Congolese political players to show restraint and a spirit of responsibility."

US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Washington was calling on DR Congo's leaders and their supporters "to act responsibly, to renounce violence, to resolve any disagreements they might have through peaceful dialogue".

Earlier, election commission chief Daniel Ngoy Mulunda said President Kabila had gained 49% of the vote against 32% for Mr Tshisekedi.

The announcement had been delayed since Tuesday, with election officials blaming logistical problems.

Mr Tshisekedi's supporters have been protesting in South Africa, Belgium, France and the UK, accusing the international community of backing Mr Kabila.

Four other candidates have said the election was rigged and should be annulled.

International observers said the vote was flawed but stopped short of calling it fraudulent. Most said the irregularities were not enough to change the outcome.

Deadly clashes marred the period leading up to the election and thousands of foreigners and Congolese have fled the country for fear of further violence.

Mr Kabila, 40, has been president since 2001 following the death of his father, Laurent.

In 2006 he won the first elections since the end of a five-year conflict and is due to be sworn in on 20 December for his second term.

But his victory must first be confirmed by the supreme court.

Mr Tshisekedi has said he has no intention of taking an election dispute to the court, which he regards as "Kabila's private institution".

Earlier this year, the constitution was amended so that the candidate with the most votes would win the election, removing the need for a second round.

Although DR Congo is rich in minerals such as gold and diamonds, years of conflict and mismanagement mean it recently came bottom of a survey of living standards around the world.