The United Russia party, the country’s ruling party, has suffered another blow to its reputation after Vladimir Putin, prime minister and president-elect, said he was stepping down as chairman.

Mr Putin’s move is probably inspired, at least in part, by a desire to distance himself from the party’s declining fortunes. United Russia was widely accused of benefiting from large-scale fraud in December’s parliamentary elections, which sparked the largest anti-Kremlin demonstrations since the 1990s. It also saw its share of votes fall from 64 per cent in 2007 elections to 49 per cent in December.

Mr Putin, however, said he was stepping down because of the principle that once he becomes president for a third term on May 7 he should be above party politics.