If there was only one candidate for President, the elections would be cancelled, according to Russian law, Mr. Veshnyakov said. He added that only alternative elections were permitted under the Russian Constitution.

According to Mr. Veshnyakov, it is up to Mr. Putin to choose whether to be nominated by a political party or nominate himself as a candidate.

The top election official commented on Mr. Putin’s statement that he would run for a second term. During his question-and-answer session with the nation on Thursday, Vladimir Putin said he was going to nominate himself as a candidate for President, and, like any other self-nominated candidate, he would have to collect 2 million voter signatures.

“The President can decide for himself how to participate in the elections,” Mr. Veshnyakov said. “It is the right of every Russian citizen,” he added. According to the official, self-nominated candidates should nominate themselves by January 1, 2004. In their turn, political parties and blocs should hold congresses and nominate their candidates before January 6, 2004.

In his opinion, the publication of official results of the recent parliamentary elections will give a start to parties and blocs to nominate their candidates for President. If any party decides to boycott the elections and not to nominate a candidate, “it will be its problem, not the problem of Russia”, in Mr. Veshnyakov’s opinion. “It will be a tragic mistake of a separate party,” he added.