WASHINGTON, February 6 - /EIN News/ In a sudden about face, Russia has agreed to let election observers into the country for the upcoming presidential election on March 2, but the concession made by the Kremlin still falls short of the OSCE's original demands.

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The favorite to win the upcoming elections is Dmitry Medvedev, the candidate hand-chosen by President Putin to run as his successor. While the passing of the torch in this manner ensures political stability, critics both inside and outside of Russia have called the election "rigged" in favor of Medvedev.

In order to deem the elections "fair", the OSCE will be sending approximately 75 observers to Russia on February 20, which is a week earlier than the Kremlin had originally agreed to, but it is still 5 days later than what the OSCE originally requested. Both sides have come closer to meeting each other's demands, and it appears that an agreement is imminent.

Russia has stepped back from its original "go it alone" policy regarding the elections after Kremlin insiders convinced Putin that adhering to at least some norms of western voting practices was necessary to guarantee the legitimacy of the vote. The same pressures worked upon the Kremlin when the other presidential candidates considered boycotting the election entirely, which would have left Medvedev weakened in a position that lacked legitimacy.

Putin has had to come to terms with some interference in the election process in order to guarantee that Medvedev inherits the office of president smoothly, since the transition will not be without its internal difficulties. Analysts concur that Putin's Siloviki will not leave their government positions easily, making the crossover to Medvedev's self-proclaimed "civil society" all the more difficult if the outcome of the vote appears fraudulent.

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