Czar Vladimir, the Sub-modern Emperor
From InhouseJD:
Both Newsday and MSNBC, amongst other sources, jumped all over Vladimir Putin’s scheming to achieve another term in 2008. This comes as a surprise to absolutely no one, and continues to exemplify just how little Putin cares about the opinions of the rest of the world.
MOSCOW — Lawmakers are considering an electoral amendment next week that could open the way for President Vladimir Putin to run for a third term, prompting the opposition to accuse his supporters of trying to cling to power. Putin has repeatedly said he will not change the constitution, which bars presidents from serving more than two consecutive terms.
A senior member of his United Russia party, however, submitted a legislative amendment Thursday that would allow Putin to stand for re-election if he stepped down before the end of his second term ends in March 2008, and if the next presidential poll held without his participation is declared invalid — for example, because of low turnout.
This poses an interesting problem for the Bush administration, who have been supportive of Putin in theory, while not definitively acting to assist Russia in the Chechnyan terrorist conflict. Privately, Bush’s inner circle might even like Vlad to succeed without much challenge, with few outstanding candidates from either party shaping up in 2008.
A lot has changed since their first meeting in 2001, when Bush said he gazed into Putin’s soul and proclaimed his counterpart, a former KGB officer, “very straightforward and trustworthy.” In April, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Washington was concerned about democratic backsliding in Russia, and that the U.S. expected Putin to respect the constitution and step down at the end of his term.
Some would argue his policies and hard-line stance have given Russia back some semblance of the strength they lost at the close of the Cold War, but alienating the international community, while in style in 2005, might be the wrong approach for a still-struggling former Great Power.
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June 24th, 2005 at 10:11 pm
I think Bush has shown that he prioritizes a partner in the fight against terrorism enough that he won’t do anything more than coach Putin how to make it at least look democratic. Also should be noted are the incredible (unprecedented) high poll numbers that the U.S. just got in Russia (yes, U.S. in Russia).
If Bush is going have a smackdown with Putin, it won’t be over Russia. It will more likely have to do with one it’s former satellite countries (a la Ukraine).