Russia – Putin signals return to the presidency

There has been a plethora of elections recently, so I am catching up on one or two items. Specifically, at the end of last week former President Vladimir Putin, now Prime Minister Putin, gave his clearest signal yet that he might be thinking of standing in the next presidential election, which is scheduled for 2012.

RFE/RL reports that during an annual televised phone-in show, Prime Minister Putin said “that he had no plans to leave politics and would consider running for president in 2012”. The report specifies: “Asked whether he would ever exit the political arena and pursue a quiet life, Putin deadpanned: ‘Don’t hold your breath.’ When he was later asked if he planned to run for president in 2012, he left the possibility open. ‘I’ll think about it’, Putin said with a wry smile.”

RFE/RL also reports President Medvedev’s reaction. He was in Italy meeting Silvio Berlusconi. When told about Prime Minister Putin’s comments, President Medvedev replied “Prime Minister Putin said he doesn’t rule out this possibility and I also say I don’t rule it out”.

In September President Medvedev left all options open. RFE/RL reports that he did not run out running himself for the presidency in 2012. “If I work well, if people trust me, why not run?”, he is reported as saying. However, when asked whether he was willing to swap jobs with Putin, he also said “I am ready to work in a different job as long as it is useful for the country”.

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