"Anyone who doesn't regret the passing of the Soviet Union has no heart. Anyone who wants it restored has no brains. " - VLADIMIR PUTIN
► http://www.economist.com/blogs/easternapproaches/2011/09/russias-presidency?page=23
The return of the man who never left
www.economist.com
SOME would have you believe it was the biggest question in Russian politics. Would Vladimir Putin, prime minister in 1999-2000, president to 2008 and since then prime minister, come back next year as Russia's president?
► http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/30/opinion/in-russia-turning-back-the-clock.html
In Russia, Turning Back The Clock www.nytimes.com
Vladimir V. Putin’s return to the Kremlin in 2012 diminishes the possibility that Russia will evolve into a stable democracy.
Unexpectedly earlier, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, 59, gave a shocking statement. On Saturday (9/24), a former agent of the Soviet Union's KGB intelligence agency stated his desire to re-occupy the presidency. For Putin, the path to the presidency won't find any significant obstacles, because his influence was still deeply entrenched in Russia. President Dmitry Medvedev (who was mentioned as Putin's protégé) approved his mentor's intentions.
At the recent United Russia party congress, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin revealed their plans to swap roles.
Many Russians feel disappointed at the news, which dashes hopes that Medvedev could modernize the country. Here, Putin poses inside a tank in the town of Nizhny Tagil (Sept. 9 photo)
Putin enjoys cultivating a tough guy image in the media. Here, he poses with bikers during a festival in Novorossiysk on Aug. 29.
Putin helps scientists put a tracking collar on a tiger (2008 photo).
The pictures of a bare-chested Putin caused a sensation in 2007.
Putin also enjoys tinkling the old ivories on occasion, such as during this visit to a Moscow theater on Sept. 15.
Medvedev and Putin during a fishing trip in August. Official photographs of the two men always made it clear who the top dog was.
"I think it's appropriate for the Congress (party) to support the nomination of the party chairman, Vladimir Putin, to occupy the presidential chair," Medvedev said when responding to Putin's wishes on the United Russia Party Congress in Moscow, Saturday (9/24).
In addition to supporting Putin, Medvedev said ready to release his office and re-assumed office as prime minister. In the eyes of the West, Medvedev is considered more liberal, but this 46-year-old man can't escape from Putin's shadow. His steps in political and legal reforms often stumble in the tight of Kremlin's grip. By contrast, Putin's move has not got a meaningful hurdle.
Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin, who judged successful enough to build the economy of Western Russia, also pressured to resign. Kudrin finally took off his job because he was judged not support Putin's intention to hold back the presidency.
"I want to thank you (Medvedev) of a positive reaction to my proposal to go back into presidency," Putin told the delegation in Moscow on Saturday (9/24). The statement was delivered after Medvedev's desire to support Putin.
In the Russian constitution, presidential term is six years. So, if he can win the 2012 elections, Putin will serve until 2018. But since a president is allowed to serve for two terms (if he's re-elected), it is very possible for Putin will occupy the presidency until 2024. This possibility is influenced by Russia's current political condition. Of the seven political parties that exist, there are only four parties to be reckoned with. One of them is the United Russia Party held 315 seats in the Russian parliament, Duma. The toughest rival of Putin's leadership of the party is the Communist Party Federation which in previous elections only got 57 seats. The third position is occupied by Russian Liberal Democratic Party, which controlled 40 seats, followed by Russia's Justice Party, 38 seats.
The dominance of United Russia Party was reinforced by the fact that Putin was ignoring democracy. Journalists and human rights defenders who opposed him, would be languishing in jail. Among businessmen and politicians who defied this policy also suffered a similar fate. His great control of the mass media and political enemies led many analysts believed Putin would swing to realize his dream.
Putin's decision to return to his old position held in the period 2000 to 2008 actually worrying for Western countries. The reason, he is considered less liberal than Medvedev and often criticized the policies of Western countries. "This announcement shows that Russia is far from open, and away from the democratic competition in the presidential election," said Ruprecht Polenz. But James Goldgeier, a Russia expert from the American University, Washington, said, "There is a related business (between Washington and Moscow), although it's not a warm relationship."
Reaction from Barack Obama's government about Putin's intentions to reassume the presidency did not seem excessive. The experts assessed Washington has a vested interest to make friends with Moscow, especially in addressing the issue of Iran and Libya, a new nuclear arms agreement, as well as Russian logistical support to U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Thus, Obama will find a way to continue the cooperation with Putin. However, the experts expected Obama to speak loudly if Putin treated his people or his neighbors unfairly, so there would be no illusion who was the true ally of Putin.
For over 11 years in power, Putin has built his image as a versatile leader. He was filmed climbing with bare-chested horses, diving, and demonstrated his action in self-defense judo. Some of Putin's policies were also considered successful, for example in combating the Chechen separatist movement and subjugated the wealthy businessman. With this policy, Putin increasingly popular in Russian society. If he becomes the president, next year, Putin is suspected will issue a new policy, for example build a Eurasian Union (which is similar to the Soviet Union).
In Izvestia newspaper reports, Putin said that he wanted to establish an economic bloc that could compete with the European Union and the United States (U.S.). "We talk about a strong supranational union model and can be one of the guides on modern world," Putin said. According to him, the Eurasian countries should have a strong integration based on values, politics, and economics. "But we're not talking about the formation of the Soviet Union. It is naive to resurrect or to copy what's in the past," he said.
*****
► http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/05/07/us-russia-inauguration-idUSL0649335020080507
Russia's Medvedev takes power and pledges freedom
www.reuters.com
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Dmitry Medvedev was sworn in as Russian president on Wednesday and nominated his predecessor Vladimir Putin as prime minister, ushering in an unprecedented period of dual rule.
► http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204422404576594510860293424.html
Russia Ousts Finance Chief
online.wsj.com
In a rare public dustup among Kremlin officials, Russia's president forced out the country's finance minister, dressing him down before state-run television for taking a stance against his policies.
► http://www.welt.de/english-news/article2946689/Media-and-generals-only-do-what-the-Kremlin-tells-them.html
"Media and generals only do what the Kremlin tells them"
www.welt.de
Moscow correspondent for Die Welt Manfred Quiring interviews Dr. Viktor Kremenuk of the Russian Institute for U.S. and Canadian Studies, who sees opportunities for improved U.S.-Russian relations in the coming Obama administration.
Sellers featuring traditional matryoshka dolls, with faces of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (R) and President Dmitry Medvedev in St. Petersburg on Monday (26 Septembre 2011). Opinion polls showed that Putin is far more popular than his rival to win the presidential election next March. (Photo: Reuters / Alexander Demianchuk)
► http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1093310.html
Russia: Putin's Unity Group Attractive To Both Right And Left
www.rferl.org
Nearly two months after Russia's parliamentary elections, acting President Vladimir Putin's faction in the State Duma (lower house), the Unity party, continues to refine its goals and ideas.
► http://www.rferl.org/content/four_scenarios_for_putin_20/24349530.html
Four Scenarios For Putin 2.0
www.rferl.org
Vladimir Putin will return to the Kremlin for at least one, and most likely two, six-year terms starting in 2012.
► http://www.itar-tass.com/en/c32/244815.html
ITAR-TASS : Russia, China to set up $4 bln investment fund
www.itar-tass.com
Stretching from the political parties after the collapse of the Soviet Union
Since the cold war ended in the late 1980s, Russia faced serious challenges to establish a political system that was almost 75 years under the authority of the politburo. The collapse of Soviet Union did have a positive impact. It was characterized by drafting a new constitution and parliament representing various parties and factions.
Currently there are four parties that make up the federal parliament. They are the United Russia party, Communist Party of the Russian Federation, the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia and Party of Social Justice. Of the four parties, the most dominant is the Unity Party.
The party which potrayed itself as a moderate party was founded on 1 December 2001, as the result of several political parties merger. While active in Russian politics, the party created by Vladimir Putin was always supportive in the Duma and Federation Council.
The predecessor of United Russia was the Unity Group, which was formed three months before the legislative elections of December 1999 to stem the progress of the National Party of Russia (OVR), led by Yuri Luzhkov. At that time, the establishment of United Russia was strongly supported by the people in Kremlin who were wary about the resurgence of OVR.
Kremlin didn't expect the Unity groups have many opportunities to be successful, because at that time President Boris Yeltsin was not very popular and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's power was still weak. When aware of it, OVR tried to mix the success formulation with the emphasized on competence and pragmatism.
In autumn 1999, Prime Minister Valdimir Putin's popularity skyrocketed after his decision to send military forces into Chechnya in order to reply to a bomb attack in Moscow and other cities.
Communist
The main opposition party is the Communist Party of the Russian Federation led by Gennady Zyuganov. In the last election, the party won 46 seats in parliament. The party was founded in 1993 when the Second Extraordinary Congress of the Communist Party of the Russian Soviet Federal Socialist Republic (RSFSR) was held.
A new umbrella movement formed on the initiative of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) on August 7, 1996. The movement was later called the People's Patriotic Union of Russia (NPSR) and consisted of more than 30 organizations on the left and right wing nationalists, such as the Russian People's Union led by Sergey Baburin and Gennady Zyuganov who was asked as the chairman.
Gennady Zyuganov supported by the party as a candidate for president of Russia in 1996 and 2000 presidential elections. During the 1996 presidential election, CPRF was supported by a leading intellectuals, Aleksandr Zinovyev. He was a Soviet dissident who became supporters of communism at the time of Perestroika. Another prominent supporter of the CPRF was a physicist, Zhores Alferov, who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2000.
Zyuganov called the election of 2003 was a "disgusting spectacle" and accused the Kremlin joined the forces to steal the achievement of his voice.
Ultranationalists
Another party, which until today still retains the seat in the World is Russian ultranationalists party, Russia's Liberal Democrats, with 35 seats. Since its founding in 1991, the party led by a charismatic but controversial figure, Vladimir Zhirinovsky.
By opposing the existence of communist ideology and capitalist in the era of 1990s, Liberal Democratic Party achieved a great success in Duma election in 1993 by winning votes from the various groups in Russia.
In the last election in 2007, the party received 8.14% of the vote and won 50 of the 450 seats in the Duma. The selling party and organization of personality centered on the party leader, Vladimir Zhirinovsky.
Parti de la Justice Sociale de Russie
Russian Justice Party was formed on October 28, 2006 through the merger of three parties, they were the Rodina, the Life Party, and the Pensioners Party. Of the merger, the nationalist Rodina party (Motherland) was the largest, with 9% won the popular vote in the Duma elections of 2003.
At the time of merger, Rodina had 37 seats in the Duma. Party of Pensioners got 3% of the vote and failed to pass the electoral threshold (electoral trhreeshold), 5%, which was also weakened by the split that occurred in the leadership. The Life party with its social democratic minded, led by Sergey Mironov, was still relatively young and only won a single electoral district.
In the following year, Russian Justice Party was growing and "accommodated" three smaller parties in 2007. The parties were the People's Party, Party of Entrepreneurship Development, and the Democratic Party and the Constitution.
The Western-oriented party was Yabloko and Union of Right Forces. Other parties were the Democratic and People's Justice Party led by former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov and the Russian Movement led by former world chess champion Gary Kasparov.
► http://soratnik.com/
► http://cdi.org/russia/johnson/7009-17.cfm
► http://ciscazarmansyah.blogspot.com/2011/04/g-e-o-r-g-i-n-d-e-w-e-e-k-e-n-d.html
Newstories: G e o r g i a n d e w e e k e n d
ciscazarmansyah.blogspot.com
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