Russian President Vladimir Putin set December 2 as the date for parliamentary elections, seen as a dress rehearsal for the 2008 presidential vote.

Opinion polls indicate the parliamentary vote will again give Kremlin loyalists a big majority in the State Duma, the lower house which has rubber-stamped most of Putin?s decisions during his seven-year rule. The vote may offer clues to whom Putin will endorse as his replacement when he steps down next year, almost assuring that candidate victory in the presidential vote.

Putin critics say the Duma election will also showcase the Kremlin?s ?managed democracy,? with some opposition parties barred from taking part and others starved of coverage on state-run television.

Pro-Kremlin parties have more money and get more media coverage. Stringent new qualification requirements have excluded many opposition parties from the vote. The opposition also says new anti-extremism laws will be used to silence its campaign.

The focus in the run-up to the election is likely to be on which trio of politicians will lead the United Russia party list. A place in the top three could be a warm-up for a presidential bid. Russian newspapers have speculated that Sergei Ivanov, a first deputy prime minister and favorite in the opinion polls to succeed Putin, might lead United Russia into the Duma vote.

Putin appeared at a televised ceremony to celebrate Moscow?s 860th anniversary just after the decree was published, but did not comment on the elections, instead praising the capital for rapidly evolving into ?one of the world?s leading capitals?. The city?s powerful and long-serving mayor, Yury Luzhkov, did refer to the poll and praised Putin?s rule without naming him.