Way to Russia Talk Lounge

Mogsfan · WayToRussified Joined: 03 Nov 2004 Posts: 490

Hey, Intourist! How are ya? Re: your post on Russian article of Putin obtaining 3rd term...

Not surprised at all! Smile

Mogsfan · WayToRussified Joined: 03 Nov 2004 Posts: 490

mediashark, do you type/post that with a straight face?

mediashark · Moderator Joined: 04 Nov 2004 Posts: 1601

That was how the story went according to some versions... what's yours?

mediashark · Moderator Joined: 04 Nov 2004 Posts: 1601

just got this from the wire:

Source: Ekho Moskvy radio, Moscow, in Russian 0500 gmt 24 Jun 05

[Presenter] So, Vladimir Putin may become Russian president for a third
time. The One Russia party have prepared the relevant amendments to the
law, which may indeed allow the current head of state to be re-elected, the
Gazeta.ru web site reports.

This concerns a situation in which the president retires before the end of
his term, the ensuing elections fail, because of a low turnout for example,
and after this the president could return.

Political analyst Sergey Dorenko believes this scenario has developed
because of the Kremlin's uncertainty about finding a trustworthy successor.

[Dorenko] You know, when a person sits under that crowned eagle - in the
Kremlin they have eagles wearing crowns - when a person sits under that
emblem he puts on the ring of total power, as described by Tolkien. He goes
mad and starts to behave differently. Therefore Putin is concerned that if
he finds a successor, in two weeks time the successor will have no qualms
about saying: And what's your name, comrade? So you're the one who
organized the genocide of the Chechen people. Let's send you to The Hague,
to join Milosevic. And that will be that.

Mogsfan · WayToRussified Joined: 03 Nov 2004 Posts: 490

Actually, I posted mine already quite recently.

But, I was responding to your "Putin didn't even want to be President' idea. Well, the way you posted, it sounded like it was your personal perspective. I don't think there is any leader of a country who *didn't* want it or why would they assume the position. If you don't want that stress, you don't do it. Rolling Eyes

mediashark · Moderator Joined: 04 Nov 2004 Posts: 1601

Of course, he could have declined, but I guess anyone would not even turn down such an appointment! That is a question, however, that only Putin himself can answer. The rest regarding if he wanted it or not are my own opinion.

He said that in the First Person interview. Who knows it could have been PR, but looking at the circamstances he was in, it probably was the fact that he was the hand-picked successor and it would be very awkward of him to decline it.

Got another interesting interview in the news:

WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO RUSSIA WITHOUT PUTIN
An interview with Alexei Pushkov, Postscript program producer and presenter
Author: Andrei Sedov
[from WPS Monitoring Agency, www.wps.ru/e_index.html]
[Alexei Pushkov: "It seems like the Kremlin is erroneously confident
that it controls the whole country. Actually, it only controls the
elite - bureaucracy and some businesses. The top of society. There's
a colossal gap between the top and the rest of society."]

Question: Many voices are already predicting a revolution in
Russia.
Alexei Pushkov: Yes - in 2008.
Question: So? Will it happen?
Alexei Pushkov: Who knows? But it seems like the Kremlin is
erroneously confident that it controls the whole country. Actually,
it only controls the elite - bureaucracy and some businesses. The
top of society. There's a colossal gap between the top and the rest
of society. And the gap is widening.
When people with a bad reputation remain in the upper echelons
of government, it doesn't affect just their image alone - it affects
the president's image. Putin apparently thinks that his confidence
rating (70%) is sufficient to cover everyone he keeps on employing
in positions of power. At the same time, very many citizens don't
understand why he would subject himself to such a trial. It is
people like Berezovsky and Nevzlin, those who have declared war on
Putin, who are trying to squeeze into the gap I've already
mentioned. And it is people like that who drag Kasianov with them.
And Kasianov isn't exactly the most unpopular person in Russia.
Question: Do you think Kasianov could challenge Putin?
Alexei Pushkov: Kasianov is not Gaidar. He doesn't have to
suffer a negative image. Provided enough money is available, it is
possible to make Kasianov a leader. But not Gaidar. And Kasianov...
he is not associated with fraud that enrages the general public.
Everything depends on how effectively he is promoted and on how
tired the people become of the regime.
Question: What about Khodorkovsky?
Alexei Pushkov: No way. Even viewing him as a political martyr,
the population remembers that he is an oligarch. No oligarch may
become the president.
Question: But Khodorkovsky aspired to become prime minister.
Alexei Pushkov: Yes. Oligarchs do become prime ministers in
other countries - look at Berlusconi in Italy. In order to become
prime minister, however, Khodorkovsky would have had to ensure the
election of a president who would appoint him to that office.
Kasianov, for example. Or by amending the Constitution and
transforming Russia into a parliamentary republic where the
president is just a symbol, while real power is wielded by a prime
minister appointed by the Duma. Buying up the majority of lawmakers
- that would have been easy.
Question: But what does Khodorkovsky need power for?
Alexei Pushkov: We met several times in Davos. I didn't find
him to be a typical moneybag. The thrill of being a billionaire had
worn off, and Khodorkovsky was terribly bored. And so he decided to
try something new. Politics, for example.
Question: So what would it have been like with Khodorkovsky as
prime minister?
Alexei Pushkov: Nothing good, I think. It was people like
Khodorkovsky who created Yeltsin's Russia. I was with the First
Channel then which belonged to Berezovsky. Well, we received calls
every other days with instructions on how we should highlight Lebed,
Korzhakov, Primakov, and so on. "Lebed needs some kicking in the
ass. Let him know our strength, who he is dealing with" - that sort
of thing. Another call, "I'm meeting with Lebed tomorrow. Ease off
criticism..." Another call the following day. "OK, no more criticism
of Lebed. We reached an agreement with him." What's that? Democracy?
Can we be sure that Khodorkovsky is different? Not like Berezovsky?
They are feathers of a bird, they are men who made themselves in an
identical manner.
Question: So, how would Khodorkovsky have run the country?
Alexei Pushkov: It would have been a liberal dictatorship. With
tight control over the media.
Question: What about ordinary citizens?
Alexei Pushkov: The people would have found life hard, even
harder than it is now. Because Putin at least understands that
improvement of living standards is what is expected from him.
Consider monetization that caused a public outcry. What did Putin
do? Halted the reform and pumped 250 million rubles more into it.
Putin is socially perceptive. As for Khodorkovsky, I suspect that
disbanding demonstrations of pensioners would have been quite
logical a decision for him. All liberal governments dispersed
demonstrations, saying "We have free-market reforms under way, so
forget your protests."
Question: And what if Kasianov becomes the president?
Alexei Pushkov: He has the same oligarchic capitals behind his
back. And our capitals are ruthless, interested only in property but
not in the people. What really counts, however, is that the slogan
"Let Chechnya go" would have surfaced. What will it mean? A hope of
cessation for all other republics. All of Russia will disintegrate
in no time at all.
Question: All right. What will the next president, the one
Putin himself will have chosen, do?
Alexei Pushkov: Putin is trying to retain a balance between
liberal reforms and the people's social position, like a tightrope-
walker. The successor will go on or fall to the side into Yeltsin's
system. The system has not been destroyed or dismantled yet, you
know. It is weaker than it was, I grant that, but it exists.
Question: Do you think there is a chance that the successor
will become a dictator?
Alexei Pushkov: Dictatorship may be established only as a
reaction to a rebellion. Oligarchic or people's. I don't perceive
any preconditions for it at this point. At least in Moscow. The
president and the mayor are popular here. A fire may flare up
somewhere in an impoverished region with a con artist for the
governor.
But it is also necessary to be aware that the population is
waiting for some breakthrough from Putin. Everyone is waiting for a
progress. Mass disappointment in Putin may occur otherwise.
Question: So, what do you think he should do?
Alexei Pushkov: Everybody knows that: develop the economy, and
suppress corruption.
Question: Why doesn't he do it?
Alexei Pushkov: The government is unable to launch any major
nationwide project, even though it has the money for it. It fears
that the money will be misappropriated. At the same time, it cannot
create mechanisms of prevention. Forty-two nationwide projects have
been planned in Russia, but not one of them has been launched. Why?
Because all the funding would be stolen.
In fact, the government's inaction could ruin everything for
Putin.
Translated by A. Ignatkin

Mogsfan · WayToRussified Joined: 03 Nov 2004 Posts: 490

Thanks, mediashark. That was an interesting read.

I have more comments on Putin and Russian politics but I'm getting tired of posting so later...

But, I will say this in brief: At first, I was willing to give Putin the benefit of the doubt. I thought it was possible that people and politics being what they are, perhaps, Russia (you could name any country, really) needed a tough hard-fisted ruler in order to shake up the country and implement the required reforms. But, now that I've looked at it for a while and read so many sources, it is MY OPINION that Russia really lacks ethics and genuine issuance of law. The reforms have not happened. Let's stop comparing to the U.S., Britain, France, what have you. We are talking about Russia here. People are always excusing everything and say, "ah....but, the U.S. does..." this or that. Russia will not get out of its hole until there is deep unison in WANTING these reforms and the government has to WANT to implement them and see them through. Yet, the Duma is full of the worst greedy politicians from all kinds of extremes (right extremist, left extremist etc.) and these don't seem like the kind of people who will place Russia on a path to get the country to improve economics/law/ethics etc.

I'm sure not saying to copy or imitate the States or another Western country but democracy is not a term or system that is reserved for any one country or to illustrate any country. But, I don't think centralized control of everything in the name of securing the country from what Putin's group feels is "bad for Russia" is the right thing to do. Then again, sadly, perhaps the ideal solution is not attainable? Sad

mediashark · Moderator Joined: 04 Nov 2004 Posts: 1601