Opposition Party Walks Out of Putin Address to Parliament

Deputies from the opposition A Just Russia party staged a highly unusual walkout of the Russian parliament on Wednesday during an appearance by president-elect Vladimir Putin.

Faction leader Sergei Mironov led his deputies out of the chamber in protest at Putin's response to a question about a mayoral vote in the southern city of Astrakhan that his party says was rigged and prompted the local candidate to go on hunger strike.

Putin replied he had no authority to intervene in the case and urged the candidate to go to court. He also question why the hunger strike was declared before any appeal had been filed.

Mironov "gave the order to leave the chamber because of Putin's rudeness," A Just Russia deputy Ilya Ponomaryov tweeted moments after the incumbent prime minister's answer.

"We were not satisfied with the prime minister's response," Interfax later quoted Mironov as saying.

Putin then went on to answer the next question from another lawmaker without commenting on the incident.