MOSCOW:In Russia, a three-week pre-election debate kicked off today in which the presidential candidates will present their election programs on TV channels and radio stations.
Five federal TV channels and three radio stations will allocate free airtime for the campaign.
A total of eight candidates are in the run for the presidential elections to be held on 18th of next month.
However, the incumbent President Vladimir Putin, who is running for the fourth term, is widely expected to have a landslide victory as he is reported to enjoy a much higher approval rating than his rivals.APP/AFP