A major centrist bloc in Russia's lower house of parliament said today it was to merge with the main party that backs President Mr Vladimir Putin.
The move by the Fatherland-All Russia bloc to merge with the Unity Party, the main pro-Kremlin group in the State Duma, would give Mr Putin far more backing in getting his laws passed by parliament.
"We have held consultations and agreed we should lead our groups to the formation of a single political party," Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov, leader of the Fatherland-All Russia bloc, told a news conference.
He said a congress on formally merging with Unity would be held in November.