Vladimir Putin surprised no-one when he announced he would run for a second term as Russian President next March. Riding high in opinion polls and buoyed by the crushing victory of his allies in parliamentary elections earlier this month, Putin confirmed he would stand during a TV phone-in: " I was planning to make my intentions clear in the next few days. The presidential campaign has just begun and I know a lot of people want to know if I'll run. My answer is yes - I will - and I'll be making an official announcement to that effect soon." But the opposition Communists, who were badly mauled in the elections, have hinted they might boycott the presidential poll and thus sabotage the 50 percent turnout needed to make it valid. The two main liberal parties have echoed Communist accusations that the parliamentary campaign was marred by media bias. But their failure to win any seats means their attacks are unlikely to worry the Russian President. **PHOTO CAPTION*** Vladimir Putin. (AFP/Pool/File/Misha Japaridze)