[JURIST] An official with Russia's Union of Right Forces (SPS) [party website, in Russian] told a news conference Thursday that the opposition political party had filed a lawsuit with the country's Supreme Court [official website, in Russian] requesting that Russian President Vladimir Putin [official website] not be allowed to run as a candidate in the country's upcoming parliamentary elections. Putin currently appears at the top of the list of candidates submitted by United Russia [party website, in Russian] for the December 2 election. If elected, Putin would be forced to turn down the post after the election, leading to SPS's allegation that the Putin's candidacy provides United Russia with an unfair advantage.

Putin's second term as president ends next year with a presidential election scheduled for March 2008. He previously ruled out a constitutional amendment [JURIST report] that would allow him to pursue a third term in office. Reuters has more.