MOSCOW. Jan 27 (Interfax) - Mikhail Kasyanov's removal from the presidential ballot was easy to predict, Russian political scientists said.

"The denial of registration was quite predictable. It was clear that he would be barred the moment he submitted the signatures. Reports were immediately released about violations in Yoshkar-Ola, and students were shown (on TV) allegedly forging signatures," political scientist Dmitry Oreshkin told Interfax on Sunday.

"The election is turning into a demonstration of loyalty to the federal center by the regional elites. The possibility of current authorities' emerging a loser is nil," he said.

"Voter turnout is the main problem now. The importance of the election must be made clear to the people now that here is no longer any intrigue. The election is losing sense," Oreshkin said.

Another political scientist Sergei Markov, on the contrary, said Kasyanov's disqualification would not influence voter turnout. The turnout will not change any radically," he said.

"I don't think the election will undergo changes after the denial of registration to Kasyanov. (First Deputy Prime Minister) Dmitry Medvedev has a high rating and Kasyanov - minute," he said.

"An overwhelming majority of citizens are convinced that Kasyanov's presence will not seriously influence the outcome of the election," he added.

Among the main reasons for the denial of registration is his campaign staff's neglectful attitude to the collection of signatures, Markov said.

"The Russian People's Democratic Union (led by Kasyanov) is a small and weak organization. I understand, Kasyanov's staff put the stake on commercial organizations. This means they wanted to get things done quickly and with smaller outlays. And this is why so many signatures were rejected," he said.