In mid-December, Putin publicly backed First Deputy Prime Minister Medvedev as his successor. Medvedev had been earlier nominated by the ruling United Russia as a presidential candidate.

Given Putin's popularity, his endorsement of the first deputy premier is likely to guarantee Medvedev the presidency. Putin has also said he will accept the post of prime minister if Medvedev bec

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omes president.

In the poll, conducted in January, respondents gave the ultranationalist Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky and Russia's Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov a 1% chance of victory. 21% of respondents said they could see no likely winner.

Other politicians mentioned in the survey - Democratic Party leader Andrei Bogdanov and former prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov - were seen as likely winners by less than 1% of respondents.

53% of respondents said Medvedev would be able to handle his potential presidential duties, saying that he was "educated, cool-headed, fair, and hardworking." Three other presidential candidates, Zhirinovsky, Zyuganov, and Kasyanov received 11%, 9% and 4%, respectively, in this category of the poll.

The respondents noted the "directness, fairness" and "motivation" of the LDPR leader, and "honesty, decency" and "closeness to the people" of the Communist Party leader as qualities that made them suitable for the post of president.

A total of five candidates, Medvedev, Zhirinovsky, Zyuganov, Kasyanov, and Bogdanov, are set to take part in Russia's March 2 presidential elections.

The survey was carried out on January 12-13, and involved 1,500 respondents from 46 Russian regions with an error margin of 3.6%.

MOSCOW, January 17 (RIA Novosti)