RUSSIAN Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has decided to run for the presidency next year, raising the possibility of a power struggle with his protege Dmitry Medvedev, the incumbent Kremlin leader, say highly placed sources.
The once-close relationship between Mr Putin, the tough-talking former KGB officer who has inspired a personality cult, and Mr Medvedev, a softly spoken Twitter enthusiast, has become increasingly fractious amid speculation in Moscow that the younger man wishes to stand again.
Insiders familiar with both leaders said Mr Putin, who served eight years as president before becoming Prime Minister three years ago, had begun to lose confidence in Mr Medvedev's loyalty.
Under the constitution, Mr Putin's move to reclaim the presidency could see him rule for two consecutive six-year terms until 2024, when he will be 72. If so, he would have served as prime minister or president for 24 years in all.
The sources said recent criticism by Mr Medvedev had made Mr Putin suspicious. "Putin will run for president. He's made up his mind for good. Rumours that he's still weighing his options are false," said one source.
"There's mounting tension between Medvedev and Putin. The view in Putin's camp is that Medvedev has started behaving with too much arrogance and wants to challenge him. Putin is starting to doubt his loyalty."
The Russian constitution allows the president to serve no more than two consecutive terms. Mr Putin stepped down in 2008 and handed the reins to Medvedev on the tacit understanding that he could come back next year if he wished.
At first Mr Medvedev was regarded as a puppet. He even took to imitating Mr Putin's distinctive macho stride and speaking style. But three years later, Mr Medvedev, who at 45 is still Russia's youngest leader in more than seven decades, is understood to be reluctant to step aside for Mr Putin.
The President is said to be frustrated at the perception, both at home and abroad, that he is a lame duck. A second term would give him the power to pursue a more liberal agenda of greater political freedom and sweeping judicial reforms, in contrast to that of Mr Putin, who is viewed as authoritarian.
"Both Putin and Medvedev see themselves as the next Russian president," said another Kremlin source.
"Given that the former brought the latter to power, that's a problem.
"It's the classic tale of the pupil trying to overtake his master. Putin's camp thinks Medvedev is getting too cocky while the President and his people say it's time for the old man to retire."
In a comment seen as a veiled attack on Mr Putin, Mr Medvedev said last week: "A person who thinks he can stay in power indefinitely is a danger to society.
"Russian history shows that monopolising power leads to stagnation or civil war."
In the past, Mr Medvedev, a Led Zeppelin fan and iPad devotee who speaks fluent English, has been careful to avoid open criticism of Mr Putin but they have clashed recently.
"Make no mistake, Medvedev is an impressive leader who would be good news for Russia if he stays on," said a Kremlin source. "There's rivalry with Putin but they're both too smart to get drawn into a nasty personal conflict.
"The difference is simple: Putin can ask Medvedev to step aside. No matter how reluctantly, he'll oblige. But Medvedev can't stop Putin from coming back. And Putin wants to be president again."
May 23rd, 2011, 16:11
Toad
Re: Putin Decides To Retake Presidency
I suspect Mr. Medvedev will quietly step aside, or he will unexpectantly fall quite ill and after a short hospital stay announce he is no longer considering future Presidency aspirations.
As if we haven't seen this coming since 2008.
May 23rd, 2011, 16:13
Ryan Ruck
Re: Putin Decides To Retake Presidency
I hear the Polonium Soup is especially good!
May 23rd, 2011, 16:18
American Patriot
Re: Putin Decides To Retake Presidency
I'm thinking he's gonna move to the US eventually.....
May 23rd, 2011, 23:30
catfish
Re: Putin Decides To Retake Presidency
Is there anyone among us that didn't see this happening? This was basically a foregone conclusion from the moment he became prime minister. I believe most of us here knew this was coming.
May 24th, 2011, 01:59
Toad
Re: Putin Decides To Retake Presidency
If I was allowed to lay $1000 down in 2008 that this would happen... I would have done it regardless of the odds, it was a sure bet. The more crazy the odds the more I'd lay down. It's like a shooting star falling in the next month. You know it will. You don't know when, but three dozen will.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said he finds it "hard to imagine" that he and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin would run against each other at next year's presidential election.
Competition between them could, he said, "be harmful".
But, speaking to the Financial Times, Mr Medvedev declined to confirm whether he would stand for a second term.
He said reports that there was a growing rivalry between the two men were "absolutely inappropriate".
The president's statements were full of mixed messages, says the BBC's Steve Rosenberg in Moscow.
When asked in the interview if he intended to seek a second term in the Kremlin, the Russian president said "any leader who holds the post of president simply must want to run".
But - he added - "it was another issue" whether he would "take this decision or not".
'Same political force'
He appeared to rule out standing against Mr Putin, if the prime minister decided to put forward his candidacy.
"Vladimir Putin and myself - and Vladimir Putin is my colleague and an old friend - represent, to a large extent, one and the same political force. And therefore competition between us may be detrimental to [our] tasks and goals," he told the FT.
Mr Medvedev repeated his vow to modernise the country, and said this depended on expanding political competition.
He warned that "in the absence of political competition the foundations of a market economy were beginning to disappear."
He hinted at reversing some of the political centralisation and state control of the economy put in place under Mr Putin.
"In some countries there is a rather successful coexistence of market-oriented economies and limited political competition," he said. "This is not for us."
In recent months President Medvedev has grown more critical of his prime minister, says our correspondent Steve Rosenberg.
But, he adds, it is Mr Putin who is widely considered to be the most powerful politician in Russia, and most analysts believe it will be Mr Putin who gets to decide which of them will represent the party of power at next year's presidential election.
June 20th, 2011, 18:34
Backstop
Re: Putin Decides To Retake Presidency
Very interesting.
Too many possibilities for me to even try and guess the motivation for making public this supposed conflict between Putin and Medvedev.
But I certainly am not suprised Putin will try to get back in The Big Red Chair.
June 20th, 2011, 18:36
American Patriot
Re: Putin Decides To Retake Presidency
Medvedev stated this morning (my time) that he wouldn't run against Putin.
June 20th, 2011, 19:38
Toad
Re: Putin Decides To Retake Presidency
Quote:
Competition between them could, he said, "be harmful".
Because, God forbid, candidates running against each other with real debate on the issues isn't good for "Democracy" (Or "federal semi-presidential republic" as it is formally known in Russia.) :rolleyes:
Please. Medvedev simply knows it would be harmful to him personally, physically, mortally, to run an honest hard campaign against Putin. I think any Russian politician who values his, or his family/friends, life knows this.
June 20th, 2011, 19:40
American Patriot
Re: Putin Decides To Retake Presidency
I think that's bullshit (No, not what you said, but that the man hasn't the balls to run against Putin).
He needs to man up and run.
June 20th, 2011, 19:43
Toad
Re: Putin Decides To Retake Presidency
I know though Medvedev was pretty much hand picked and blessed by Putin, they've been butting heads lately. I wonder how much real friction is between them. If Medvedev respects Putin and bows to who really pulls the strings and will just step aside. Or if he has honest fear of Putin and will step aside.
June 20th, 2011, 20:02
American Patriot
Re: Putin Decides To Retake Presidency
Quote:
Originally Posted by Toad
I know though Medvedev was pretty much hand picked and blessed by Putin, they've been butting heads lately. I wonder how much real friction is between them. If Medvedev respects Putin and bows to who really pulls the strings and will just step aside. Or if he has honest fear of Putin and will step aside.
In other words, he'll "just step aside".
I'm not worried about Russian politics. I don't trust them, and I don't trust them a LOT.
(None I mean).
It's a matter of time before they revert to Communism, very little time.
I see it in the next 5 years or perhaps less.
June 20th, 2011, 21:11
Backstop
Re: Putin Decides To Retake Presidency
If their public arguments are real, at some point I predict Putin will just Litvinenko Medvedev.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has announced that the entire government is resigning in a surprise statement released shortly after President Vladimir Putin delivered his annual state-of-the-nation address.
Accepting the resignation, Putin thanked the ministers for their hard work and asked them to function as a caretaker government until a new one can be formed.
Medvedev and Putin had met for a work meeting to discuss the state-of-the-nation address earlier on Wednesday, the Kremlin said. Medvedev explained that the cabinet is resigning in accordance with Article 117 of the Russian Constitution, which states that the government can offer its resignation to the president, who can either accept or reject it.
During his speech, Putin said he intended to create the position of deputy secretary of Russia’s Security Council, which would be offered to Medvedev.
Medvedev’s move to the new role will mean Russia will have a new prime minister when a new government is formed.
Putin also proposed multiple amendments to Russia’s constitution. His proposals would entail “substantial changes” to the constitution as well as to the “entire balance of power, the power of the executive, the power of the legislature, the power of the judiciary,” Medvedev explained. “In this context, it is obvious that, as the government, we must provide the president with a capability to make all decisions,” which are required to implement the proposed plan, Medvedev said announcing the en-masse resignation.
Another idea voiced by Putin is to make the consultation body, the State Council, a permanent fixture, with its status and role written into the constitution. The president praised the council’s effectiveness, stressing that its working groups ensure the most important problems for the people are thoroughly looked into.
‘Russia in Global Affairs’ Editor-in-Chief Fyodor Lukyanov told RT that the change will be a step towards the “diversification of power” at a time when the country is being “increasingly governed in a ‘manual control’ mode and fully fixated on the president.”
It is an attempt to transform a super-centralized personified system of power into a more balanced and diversified one… with a strong president but not as strong as today.
“The resignation symbolizes the current ‘reboot’ of the political system” ahead of the 2021 parliamentary and 2024 presidential elections, Dmitry Badovsky, head of the Moscow-based Institute of Socio-Economic and Political Studies, told RT.
The cabinet’s resignation is also “tied in with the constitutional amendment package” proposed by Putin on Wednesday.
Though thanking Medvedev and his team for their hard work, Putin also said that not everything has been accomplished.
The nationwide programs are aimed at raising living standards and bettering the wellbeing of Russians. They encompass many spheres, including the improvement of education, housing and healthcare services.
The president thanked Dmitry Medvedev’s government for its work
MOSCOW, January 15. /TASS/. The Russian government has resigned.
President Vladimir Putin thanked Dmitry Medvedev’s government for its work. "For my part, I also want to thank you for everything that was done at this stage of our joint work, I want to express satisfaction with the results that have been achieved," the president told a meeting with the cabinet of ministers.
"Not everything was done, but everything never works out in full," Putin said.
The president also highlighted the need to increase the birthrate.
President Vladimir Putin has proposed to tweak the Russian constitution to increase the powers of parliament and the Cabinet, a move that could herald his intention to shift into a new position to stay at the helm after his current term expires.
Speaking in his state of the nation address before top officials and politicians, Mr Putin suggested amending the constitution to allow politicians to name prime ministers and Cabinet members.
The right currently belongs to the president.
At the same time, Mr Putin argued that the president should retain the right to dismiss the prime minister and Cabinet ministers.
He said that the president should have the power to name top defence and security officials.
He said that constitutional changes must be put to a nationwide referendum.
Mr Putin’s current term expires in 2024, and Russia’s political elites have been abuzz with speculation about his future plans.
The 67-year-old Mr Putin has remained at the helm for more than 20 years, longer than any other Russian or Soviet leader since Josef Stalin.
He will have to step down after his term ends under the current law, which limits the president to two consecutive terms.
Observers speculated that he may stay in charge by shifting into the prime minister’s seat after increasing the powers of parliament and the Cabinet and trimming presidential authority.
Other potential options include a merger with neighbouring Belarus and becoming the head of a new unified state, a prospect rejected by Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko.
Mr Putin focused his state of the nation address on the need to encourage population growth and create new incentives for economic growth.
He said that the authorities need to do more to encourage new births and support young families.
Mr Putin emphasised that low incomes remain a key obstacle to population increase.
Russia’s population currently stands at about 147 million.
The Russian leader that the nation is currently facing the consequences of the post-Soviet economic meltdown that resulted in a steep drop in new births.
BREAKING: Putin has named Tax Chief Mikhail Mishustin as new #Russia PM, replacing Medvedev. (AP) Moves seen as maneuver from Putin to secure power after term ends in 2024.
