Putin says will seek new term, as independent candidate

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that he would seek a new term in office as an independent candidate.

Russia goes to the polls in March.

Putin added that he was hoping for support from more than one party.

Reuters reported Putin, 65, as telling an annual news conference that Russia's political system must be competitive but that the opposition lacked a strong candidate to challenge him because his opponents, while creating a lot of noise, had very little to offer the nation.