Medvedev spared Duma election debate

Russia's ruling party has no plans to include President Dmitry Medvedev in parliamentary election debates, a United Russia functionary said on Thursday. Medvedev heads the party's 600 candidate list that was formally presented to the Central Electoral Commission ahead of the December 4 poll. "Dmitry Anatolyevich [Medvedev] is at the top of our list but we have a special debating team," Sergei Neverov, a member of United Russia's General Council Presidium, said when asked whether Medvedev would take part in the debate. "We are able to take on any party in the election debate."