MOSCOW - A three-week pre-election debate kicked off on Monday, in which Russian presidential candidates would present their election programs on TV channels and radio stations to attract voters.

According to local reports, five federal TV channels and three radio stations will allocate free airtime for the campaign.

Seven candidates are expected to join the first TV debate on the Public Television of Russia broadcaster on Tuesday. Incumbent President Vladimir Putin, who is on his third term and running for another presidential term, refused to take part in the debate.

Putin is widely expected to have a landslide victory as he is reported to enjoy a much higher approval rating than his rivals in total.

Russia's Central Election Commission said earlier that Putin will order representatives to present his election programs in regional media.

A total of eight people, including Pavel Grudinin from the Russian Communist Party and Vladimir Zhirinovsky, head of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, have been officially confirmed to run for the country's presidential elections on Mar 18.