Putin Attaches Strings To His Puppet
Putin and his puppet, Dmitry Medvedev.
MOSCOW: In a move likely to decide the presidential election in March, President Vladimir Putin expressed support Monday for Dmitry Medvedev, a first deputy prime minister.
There have been months of intense speculation on who Putin would back in the voting March 2, along with the wider question of what Putin himself will do once he steps down. Putin’s popularity and steely control are so strong that most observers expected that whomever he supported for the presidency would be a shoo-in.
He made the statement in a meeting with representatives of four parties, including United Russia, which is his power base and dominates Parliament. The parties told Putin they all supported Medvedev.
“I completely and fully support this proposal,” Putin said, according to footage shown on state television.
Putin had long been seen as trying to choose between Medvedev, a 42-year-old business-oriented lawyer, and Sergei Ivanov, another first deputy prime minister, who built up a hawkish reputation while defense minister.
“Medvedev is not an extremist,” said Lilia Shevtsova, an analyst at the Carnegie Moscow Center. “He is not known for any kind of harsh views on politics, and apparently Medvedev better suits Putin’s view of how to achieve continuity.”
Although Putin is banned by the Constitution from seeking a third consecutive term in office, he has indicated a strong desire to remain a significant power figure. He has raised the prospect of becoming prime minister, and his supporters have called for him to become a “national leader” with unspecified authority.
While Medvedev holds powerful positions as first deputy prime minister and chairman of the board of Gazprom, the government’s natural gas monopoly, he projects a mild-mannered public image and has been widely seen as a functionary devoted to Putin rather than as an independent thinker.
Putin reinforced that perception Monday by saying that electing Medvedev would pave the way for a government “that will carry out the course that has brought results for all of the past eight years.”
The Russian stock market surged on the news, led by Gazprom, whose shares jumped 1.6 percent within a few minutes. The market also apparently was lifted by the end of long uncertainty over whom Putin would designate as successor.
The speculation about Putin’s future has included the possibility that he could try to return as president. That possibility seemed potentially strengthened by the announcement about Medvedev, said Vladimir Ryzhkov, a prominent liberal politician.
“The strategy is as follows,” Ryzhkov said on Ekho Moskvy Radio. “Medvedev is a compromise choice, because he will allow Putin to keep a free hand. If Putin wants to gradually leave power, Medvedev guarantees him comfort and security and will continue to listen him.”
If Putin decides to return to the presidency after some time, Ryzhkov said, “Medvedev will be the person who will without a doubt give up the path for him.”
Medvedev and Putin worked in the early 1990s under St. Petersburg’s reformist mayor, Anatoly Sobchak. After Putin became prime minister in 1999, he brought Medvedev to Moscow to become deputy chief of staff of the cabinet. Medvedev then moved up to become deputy chief of staff for the president, became head of the Gazprom board in 2002 and became full presidential chief of staff in 2003. Putin named him a first deputy prime minister in 2005.
(AP)
“Medvedev then moved up to become deputy chief of staff for the president, became head of the Gazprom board in 2002 and became full presidential chief of staff in 2003.”
When you really look into Gazprom, its history and its goals, this all becomes very shallow and transparent. This is one of the problems with allowing Oil to dominate our lives, it props up otherwise FAILED states and statesmen!
December 10th, 2007 at 2:06 pmWe actually had troops in Russia after the First World War, but Congress stopped them from doing anything. If only Kerensky had won…
December 10th, 2007 at 2:24 pmPutin seems to be able to call the shoots in Russia at this time. Not a lot we can do about it but talk about it.
December 17th, 2007 at 8:30 amI want know who that blonde is that I have seen walking with Putin, in several video clips of Putin, over that last several months?