RUSSIA
Russia kicks off Kremlin race
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Russia has kicked off its campaign for the March 2 presidential elections. The campaign has been overshadowed by a growing bitter 'democracy' dispute between Moscow and the West.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
By Reuters
MOSCOW, Feb 2 (Reuters) - An increasingly bitter dispute
between Moscow and the West over democracy overshadowed the
official start on Saturday of the campaign for Russia's March 2
presidential election.
President Vladimir Putin's chosen successor Dmitry Medvedev,
who enjoys blanket coverage on state media and full support from
the Kremlin, is expected to win the election by a landslide.
Russia accused Europe's main election watchdog on Friday of
trying to sabotage monitoring of the vote. The Organisation for
Security and Cooperation in Europe's monitoring body had in turn
accused Moscow of imposing serious restrictions on its work.
Opinion polls show most Russians like Putin's hawkish stance
towards the West, so taking a tough line against election
monitors is likely to be popular among voters.
The growing dispute threatened a repeat of a standoff last
year when European monitors scrapped plans to monitor Russia's
parliamentary elections after accusing Moscow of obstruction.
Putin's United Russia party went on to win a landslide victory.
The Europeans are unhappy Russia has stopped their monitors
from starting work until only three days before the election.
"Open sabotage continues ... for our proposals of joint
election monitoring," said Russian Foreign Ministry official
Sergei Ryabkov.
Pollsters say Medvedev, now first deputy prime minister,
will win at least 70 percent of the vote. State-owned pollster
VTsIOM said on Thursday Medvedev would get 74 percent.
The 42-year-old Medvedev's nearest rival, veteran Communist
Party leader Gennady Zyuganov, has lost two previous
presidential elections and is now shown with 12 percent of the
vote. The other two candidates are even less of a threat.
Part of the explanation for Medvedev's high ratings is that
an eight-year economic boom under Putin has made many Russians
better off. Few want to rock the boat and risk a return to the
turbulent 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
As in December's parliamentary election, state media are
giving generous coverage to the Kremlin's man and minimal air
time to opponents.
Once again opposition candidates are crying foul, saying
Medvedev -- a long-time close Putin ally -- enjoys huge
government support and resources which they cannot match.
LESS PASSION
With such a predictable result in prospect, the campaign has
so far aroused little passion and even less debate.
There is a widespread expectation that Medvedev's election
will make little difference because Putin, barred from seeking a
third term by the constitution, will go on pulling the strings.
Putin, 55, has already said he wants to retain influence and
plans to become Medvedev's prime minister, though some suspect
he may have bigger plans after that.
The absence of opposition candidates who might have packed
more punch in the campaign has also helped Medvedev.
Former chess champion and leading opposition figure Garry
Kasparov decided not to take part. Former Prime Minister Mikhail
Kasyanov and former Soviet dissident Vladimir Bukovsky were both
disqualified by election authorities.
Medvedev's campaign managers said this week their candidate
would not take part in any televised debates, robbing opponents
of their best potential chance of publicity.
Russian media reported Medvedev would avoid campaigning
altogether, preferring to cultivate an image of a leader already
hard at work performing his deputy prime ministerial duties,
rather than a candidate on the hustings.
So far Medvedev has made a series of appearances touring
provincial Russian towns, often in the company of Putin. He has
said he stands for continuity of the existing Kremlin line.
That stance is likely to play well with voters, more than
half of whom told pollsters in December they would vote for
whoever Putin -- Russia's most popular politician -- chose.
Given the lack of excitement in the campaign, commentators
have chosen instead to focus on intrigue in the Kremlin.
Most have described Medvedev as coming from the Kremlin's
liberal wing and have forecast that disappointed hardliners may
try to fight back unless Putin holds the ring.
"There is no doubt there is a non-stop under-the-carpet
struggle being waged in the Kremlin now with (hardliners) trying
to attack the group associated with Dmitry Medvedev," said
Dmitry Oreshkin, head of independent think-tank Mercator.
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