By Agencies

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Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian president, says he has instructed the government to investigate the allegations of electoral fraud during the December 4 parliamentary vote.

Tens of thousands rallied in Moscow and other cities on Saturday in the largest anti-government protest in Russia's post-Soviet history to protest the reported fraud and demand the departure of Vladimir Putin, the prime minister.

Medvedev broke two days of silence by posting a comment on Facebook on Sunday, saying that he disagrees with the rally's demands and slogans. But he added he has instructed the government to check all reports of alleged vote rigging.

"People have the right to express their opinion, which is what they did yesterday," Medvedev wrote. "It is a good thing that everything happened within the law."

The Russian president repeated in his Facebook entry on Sunday that he had "issued instructions to check all polling station reports" about possible violations.

Medvedev has previously defended the poll and only issued instructions to investigate specific voting violations reported in the Russian media and by foreign election observers.

Neither Medvedev nor Putin has made any public appearances on the weekend.