President Vladimir Putin upheld the candidature of First Deputy Prime Minister Dimitry Medvedev to succeed him in office when his presidency ends in March.
Putin meeting with party leaders Monday, including United Russia which won by a landslide in the recent parliamentary election, said he "fully and completely supported" Medvedev as a candidate for the March 2 vote.
With no favourite in sight a bare three months before the elections, the candidate backed by Putin is widely expected to take his place - riding on the coat tails of the president's skyrocketing popularity.
Though Putin (who is constitutionally barred from a third term) has expressed his intention to retain influence, the uncertainty surrounding his future political role has led to rumoured infighting among Russia's political elite.
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