(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-12-23 15:19

MOSCOW - Russia's election authorities on Saturday rejected Vladimir Bukovsky's candidacy bid, and six candidates have remained in the race for presidency so far.

Bukovsky, a writer and publicist, was deported to Britain in 1976 by then Soviet government. He has dual citizenship of Russia and Britain.

Soviet-era dissident Vladimir Bukovsky, right, speaks with one of the leaders of the Union of Right Forces Boris Nemtsov, during the party congress in Moscow, Monday, Dec. 17, 2007. Congress due to elect their candidate for March 2008 presidential election. [Agencies]

The Central Election Commission ruled Bukovsky's running bid as invalid as he has not lived in Russia for the last 30 years, and by law a presidential racer has to live in Russia for at least 10 years before being nominated, Russia's RIA Novosti news agency reported.

So far six candidates have remained in the race.

By law, three of the candidates, former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov and Andrei Bogdanov as independent candidates, and Boris Nemtsov, whose Union of Right Forces party failed to win any seatsin the parliamentary elections earlier this month, each will have to collect at least 2 million signatures nationwide in support of their nomination before January 16, 2008, before their candidacy can be officially confirmed.

The other three, candidate of the Communist Party Gennady Zyuganov, his competitor from the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia Vladimir Zhirinovsky and First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev from the ruling United Russia, do not have to collect the signature as their parties have seats in parliament. They are likely to be officially registered as candidates next week.

Medvedev said he will invite outgoing Russian President Vladimir Putin to take the post of prime minister if he wins the presidential election scheduled for March 2, 2008.

Putin accepted Medvedev's invitation and voiced his strong support for Medvedev.