Updated

Some 1,500 Communist Party supporters and other government opponents have held a protest in central Moscow over alleged election fraud.

Opposition parties and politicians claim there were widespread irregularities in local elections held across Russia last week.

The voting strengthened Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's already dominant United Russia party and left the Communists as the only opposition party in the Moscow city legislature.

The Kremlin and United Russia have weathered years of criticism from opponents at home, and the party's dominance has fueled Western accusations of a rollback of democracy in Russia.

Many Russians have little trust in the fairness of elections, but there's no sign that opposition anger over the vote will spark a major protest movement.