Russia will hold polls for the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, on December 4, President Dmitry Medvedev said today.

“The decree sets December 4 as the date for the State Duma elections. It comes into force the moment it is published officially,” Medvedev was quoted as saying in the local media.

The ruling United Russia party, headed by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, dominates the State Duma.

The outgoing Duma was elected in December 2008 for four years.

However, following constitutional amendments the new 450-strong lower house will be elected for five years.

The election to the lower house of parliament will culminate in the crucial presidential polls due in March 2012 but whose date has yet to be officially confirmed.

It is not clear whether Medvedev will stand for a second term or make way for his mentor Putin, who occupied the Kremlin from 2000-2008.

However, Medvedev has made it clear that he will not stand against Putin.

The Duma members are elected on the basis of proportionate representation according to votes.

The minimum threshold for a party to enter the lower house is 7 per cent, but under the amendments proposed by Medvedev the parties polling up to 5 per cent voters will have a certain number of seats in the Duma.(