Russian cosmonaut Alexander Kaleri will vote from orbit through his representative

Russian cosmonaut Alexander Kalery, who has been working at the International Space Station (ISS) since October 18, will vote at the parliamentary elections on Sunday through a person empowered to act for him, said Valery Lyndin, an official spokesman of the Mission Control.

"Kaleri will definitely take part in the elections to the State Duma," he stressed. According to Lyndin, Alexander decided long ago which party he would vote for and told his representative about his decision. "It is a tradition carried on since the time when the Russian Mir space station was in service," Lyndin recalled.

He specified that in former years, when the Soviet Salyut station was in orbit, voting was conducted openly during a special TV broadcast. "There was a one-party political system in the country at that time, and all spacemen unanimously voted for the Communist Party," he said.

On December 7 this year the ISS crewmen, a Russian and an American, will take a rest. "It is not connected with the elections. In orbit, like on the Earth, Sunday is a day off," Lyndin said.