Opinion - News Analysis   

Following in Vladimir Putin's footsteps

Peter Lavelle— RIA Novosti

The man elected to succeed the Russian President will be someone similar to him.

RUSSIA'S 2008 Presidential election is not exactly just around the corner but given that there is no obvious candidate to succeed Vladimir Putinand that there are various theories in play concerning 2008, it is reasonable to start looking around.

However, there should be little doubt that the person who will be elected to fill Mr. Putin's shoes will be someone very similar to the outgoing President.

Theories about what many pundits call Russia's "Y2008 problem" include changing the constitution to allow Mr. Putin to serve another term, transforming Russia into a parliamentary republic with Mr. Putin serving as Prime Minister, as well as conspiracy theories in which an artificial crisis threatening national security will be staged to force Mr. Putin to stay in office. All of these scenarios are quite entertaining, but hardly realistic or necessary.

Russia's democracy is strong enough to experience a peaceful transfer of power though existing institutions. Those who claim otherwise are more interested in power and at the expense of the democratic process.

It is safe to assume that the next President will be a member of the current political elite. For some this assumption is inherently undemocratic and evidence that a form of post-Soviet authoritarianism has taken root in Russia during Mr. Putin's tenure in office.

If an "outside" challenger has no chance of winning, then, the argument goes, Russia's political system is undemocratic. This is an over-simplification and a misreading of the political terrain. In Russia's case, possible "outsider" bids remain unappealing for the vast majority of the electorate. Individuals such as Garry Kasparov, Mikhail Kasyanov, and disgraced oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky — all financed by "exiled" oligarchs and cheered by Washington's Russophobic fringe — are more interested in pursuing personal agendas that have nothing to do with the interests of the electorate or the democratic process.

Looking for a potential Presidential candidate from Russia's liberal parties is hardly worth commenting on. The Communist Party should be expected to run a candidate — most likely its current leader Gennady Zyuganov will run and lose — again.

With an "outside" challenger not on the cards, liberals unable to agree to support a single candidate, the Communists set to repeat past failures, and the nationalists split, who among the ruling elite might be put forward?

Under Mr. Putin, a strong and stable governance system has slowly been implemented by people who share the common objective: to build a democratic Russia, with a competitive, market-based economy, integrated within the global system. After eight years of pursuing these goals, Mr. Putin can be confident that the legacy he has created will be continued by someone very much like himself.

— RIA Novosti

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Friends yes, but not allies please
Rowling and the HP phenomenon
The India-America nuclear dialogue
No change in the Advani persona
Conciliation gives way to confrontation
The way ahead for a safer world
Part of the problem
Following in Vladimir Putin's footsteps
London blasts
It was good and bad

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu