By Mark John and David Brunnstrom
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Europe joined the United States on Monday in demanding Russia investigate alleged abuses in an election won overwhelmingly by President Vladimir Putin's party, and Germany denounced the poll as undemocratic.
European states expressed alarm over the outcome of Sunday's parliamentary poll after rights watchdogs said the campaign had been marred by biased media coverage and abuse of government resources in favor of Putin's United Russia.
But analysts said many European states now acknowledged that Moscow, whose cooperation the West wants over disputes from Iran to Kosovo, was increasingly impervious to outside criticism.
With almost all votes counted in the State Duma (lower house) election, Putin's United Russia had won 64.1 percent of votes -- nearly six times as many as his nearest rival.
"It is vital that the Russian Central Election Commission urgently investigates all allegations of electoral abuses," Britain's foreign ministry said, echoing a similar call from Washington on Sunday.
It expressed disappointment that the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe had not been able to observe the election. The OSCE cancelled plans to monitor the poll after a row with Moscow over delays in issuing visas.
France expressed the hope that Moscow would "shed light" on the allegations of voting irregularities.
Sharper reaction came from German Chancellor Angela Merkel's government, seen as less close to Putin than that of her predecessor Gerhard Schroeder. Continued...
Europa se unió a Estados Unidos en instar a Rusia a que investigue numerosas quejas respecto a prácticas antidemocráticas durante las elecciones que dieron un abrumador triunfo al partido político del presidente Vladimir Putin.

El partido Rusia Unida, de Putin, obtuvo el 64% de los votos, durante los comicios parlamentarios del domingo. El partido comunista ocupó un distante segundo lugar con un 12%, mientras dos partidos pro Kremlin obtuvieron un 7 y 8%, porciones suficientes para adjudicarse escaños en la Duma o cámara baja del Parlamento.

El presidente de la Organización para la Seguridad y Cooperación en Europa dijo que la elección se realizó en una atmósfera de acoso e intimidación hacia la oposición. La oficina de la canciller alemana Angela Merkel afirmó que la elección no fue justa ni democrática.

El líder del oposición ruso Garry Kasparov criticó los comicios, calificándolos como "los más sucios" en la historia de la Rusia moderna.


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