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Litvinenko suspect named as parliamentary candidate

Russia's vehemently nationalist Liberal Democratic Party on Monday named the prime suspect in the killing of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko to a top slot on its list for parliamentary candidates.

Andrei Lugovoi was chosen at a party congress to be second on its candidate list for the Dec. 2 elections to the lower house of parliament.

Lugovoi has been named by Britain as its chief suspect in last year's death in London of Litvinenko, who was poisoned by a rare radioactive isotope. Russia has refused Britain's demand that Lugovoi be extradited to face trial in the murder, saying that its constitution prevents the move.

Lugovoi told reporters that the events of the past 10 months forced him to enter politics.

"It was a vile provocation and disgusting lie that swamped Russia and me personally. As a matter of fact, this scandal ... has been most politicized by the West and especially by the British. In this situation I am simply at the pivot point of a worldwide political struggle," he said.

The nomination of Lugovoi "is our response to the impudent proposition" that Russia should change its constitution to allow the extradition, party leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky said.

``We do not interfere in the internal affairs of other states, and we will never allow anyone to interfere in the internal affairs of Russia,'' he said.

In the election for the Duma, seats will be distributed to parties based on the percentage of votes the parties receive nationally. As second on the party list, Lugovoi would be in a strong position to get a seat if the party gets at least 7 percent of the national votes -- the barrier for being allotted seats.

A poll conducted last week by the respected VTsIOM polling organization showed the party would get about 6 percent of the vote.

If he were to become a member of the Duma, Lugovoi would also be eligible for parliamentary immunity from criminal prosecution.

Zhirinovsky has attracted wide attention with his extreme statements -- including a vow to use giant fans to blow radioactive waste from Russia into ex-Soviet Baltic countries and claims that AIDS was imported into Russia from the US.

The party was the largest vote-getter in the 1993 parliamentary elections, but its influence has declined. The party once held about 65 of the Duma's 450 seats but currently has only 30.
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