Political uncertainty drives outflows: Kremlin

MOSCOW: Political uncertainty ahead of the parliamentary and presidential elections is partially to blame for net capital outflows, Kremlin's chief economic adviser said on Tuesday.

Kremlin aide Arkady Dvorkovich said Russia was unlikely to see a net capital inflow in 2011 although he added that an expected influx of money in the second half of the year could compensate for some of the outflows in the first half.

Russia holds a parliamentary election in December and a presidential election in March 2012. President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin have both refused to say which of them will run in the election.

COPYRIGHT REUTERS, 2011