Russian opposition blocks main St Petersburg road

MOSCOW, Feb 18 (Reuters) Supporters of an opposition party critical of the Kremlin today blocked St Petersburg's main thoroughfare to protest against a decision to ban it from running in a key election in the city, a party leader said.

The Yabloko party has been shut out of the March 11 municipal council vote in Russia's second city due to what election officials call irregularities in its application documents.

The head of the party's St Petersburg branch, Maxim Reznik, said that about 500 protesters demonstrated on the Nevsky Prospect before blocking it for 15 minutes. Ekho Moskvy radio put the number of demonstrators at more than 300.

''We said this (blocking) is just the beginning,'' Reznik said by telephone, adding that the Yabloko activists also protested a plan by state gas giant Gazprom to build a skyscraper that will tower over the city's historic centre.

Russia-watchers say party bans, such as this one, could be part of Kremlin efforts to get rid of political troublemakers ahead of a key parliamentary vote in December and a presidential election in 2008.

Earlier this month, the Yabloko deputy leader said the ban was politically motivated.

''It is linked to the party's tough stand on the St Petersburg authorities' actions like the building of Gazprom City,'' Sergei Ivanenko said, referring to the planned skyscraper.

Reznik said today the protesters held up banners that read: ''You won't intimidate Yabloko'' and ''Give the election back to the people''.

Reuters AB DB2109