Russia`s election officials have refused to allow the leader of leading liberal party Yabloko to compete in March`s presidential election. Yavlinsky said the move was a `political decision` taken to ensure Putin gained over 50% of the vote needed to avoided a run off election. Pictured: December 08,2011.St.Petersburg,Russia. Grigory Yavlinsky, the leader of Yabloko party, at the press conference in Saint Petersburg.