Police in Russia's two largest cities arrested scores of demonstrators in the third day of protests against the country's ruling party, amid widespread allegations of election fraud.

Policemen detain an activist during rally to protest against the results of the parliamentray elections and the policies conducted by Russian authorities in Moscow, December 6, 2011

The demonstrations in Moscow and St. Petersburg attracted fewer protesters on Wednesday than in previous days, roughly 300 in each city.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's United Russia party lost a significant share of its seats in Sunday's parliamentary election but will still have a majority.

Opposition parties and independent observers say the result was inflated by vote-rigging, including alleged ballot-box stuffing and false voter rolls.