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September 25, 2011

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Putin will run again for Russian presidency

RUSSIAN Prime Minister Vladimir Putin yesterday agreed to run for the Russian presidency in 2012, almost certainly ensuring his return to the office he previously held for eight years and likely foreshadowing more years of strongman rule. His United Russia party also approved his proposal that President Dmitry Medvedev take over Putin's role as prime minister.

Putin ruled Russia as president from 2000-08 with a steely command that was widely criticized in the West as a retreat from democracy. Because constitutional changes have extended the presidential term to six years from four, Putin's power is likely to be even more enhanced. If he wins two terms in a row, Putin will have been atop the Russian hierarchy for 20 years.

Putin's nomination at a congress of the United Russia party ends months of speculation as to whether he would seek to return to the Kremlin or whether he would allow the reform-leaning Medvedev to seek another term in next year's election.

Despite apparently growing discontent among ordinary Russians with the party, United Russia exerts such an overwhelming presence that Putin's election and Medvedev's switch to the premiership is virtually ensured.

Opposition parties been marginalized and Putin's personal popularity is immense among Russians who laud him as the strong figure needed by a sprawling country troubled by corruption, an Islamist insurgency and a vast gap between the impoverished and the super-rich.

The presidential election, for which a date has not been set, is preceded by national parliamentary elections on December 4. United Russia will seek to retain its dominance. The party currently has 312 of the 450 seats.

Putin started an orchestrated series of maneuvers at the party congress by proposing that Medvedev head the party list for the December elections. Medvedev then proposed that Putin be the party's presidential candidate. Putin accepted the proposal and expressed support for Medvedev as prime minister.

 

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