Putin delivers a presidential display
By Brian Whitmore
He called for tough measures against terrorists. He accused the United States
of holding up Russia's bid to join the World Trade Organization. He claimed
that his country had weathered the worst of the economic crisis.
And for good measure, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin added that he had
no plans to leave politics and would consider running for president in 2012.
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.
"There is still enough time. I think today every one of us should
carry out his duties and work efficiently in his own place. And decisions
concerning the 2012 election campaign will be made depending on the situation
in the economy and the social sphere."
Speaking later from Rome, the current Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, said
he would likewise consider a run in 2012.
"Prime Minister Putin said he doesn't rule out this possibility, and I also say
I don't rule it out," Medvedev told a news conference co-hosted by Italian
leader Silvio Berlusconi. "But this is only if Mr Medvedev and Mr Putin have a
chance."
Putin, who stepped down as president last year but remains the country's most
powerful politician, took pre-approved queries from ordinary Russians for more
than four hours on December 3 in his annual televised question-and-answer
session. Last year's session was just three hours.
Tough measures
The prime minister sought to reassure a jittery public reeling from an ongoing
economic crisis and frightened that a new wave of terrorist attacks could
follow in the wake of last week's bombing of a luxury train.
The November 27 bombing of the Nevsky Express, an upscale passenger train
traveling between Moscow and St Petersburg, killed at least 30 people and
injured around 100 more. It was the worst terrorist attack in Russia outside of
the North Caucasus in five years and has raised fears of a new wave of
terrorist attacks in major Russian cities.
"The recent tragedy shows that we have to intensify our efforts in this area.
And of course, we need to take very tough measures against criminals who carry
out such terrorist acts," Putin said.
A website linked to Chechen separatist fighters, kavkazcenter.com, said on
December 2 that it received a letter from Islamist militants who claimed
responsibility for the attack.
According to the website, the letter said the train bombing "was prepared and
carried out" on the orders of Doku Umarov, the self-proclaimed leader of a
Caucasus emirate that has sought to unite militant Islamist groups in Russia's
North Caucasus and establish Islamic sharia law in the region.
Economic jitters
On the economic front, Putin said the worst of the crisis was over and he
expected the economy to shrink 8.5-8.7% this year, less than some had expected.
He noted that the economy had "grown by an average of 0.5 percent per month
over the last five months" and expressed hope that the positive trend would
continue.
"We can say with a great measure of certainty that the peak of the crisis has
been overcome - although turbulence in the world economy, and consequently in
the Russian economy, remains, and the way out of this crisis will require time
and a great deal of strength and resources from us," Putin said.
The premier also criticized the United States over the Jackson-Vanik amendment,
a Cold War-era law imposing trade restrictions on Russia that remains a
sticking point in US-Russian relations. Putin called the amendment "an
anachronism" and accused Washington of holding up Russia's efforts to join the
World Trade Organization (WTO).
"For reasons unknown to us, some countries, including the United States, are
blocking our WTO membership," Putin said. "Our main priority, however, is
integration in the post-Soviet area, so we are very happy about the current
process of establishing a customs union among Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus."
The session was conducted in a specially built Moscow studio and included video
links to various points across Russia including Pikalyovo, home to the BazEl
Cement company, the turbine room of the giant Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric
dam in Siberia where an accident in August killed 75 people, and the city of
Tolyatti, home of the troubled AvtoVAZ carmaker.
Pikalevo made headlines in May when residents, angry about unpaid back wages,
stormed the mayor's office and blocked a federal highway. Putin showed up in
June and publicly dressed down BazEl's main owner, Oleg Deripaska, and the wage
arrears were quickly paid out.
Putin told a questioner from Pikalevo that he would return to sort things out
again if need be.
"If the situation requires, I will come to your town or to any other place in
the Russian Federation. It is my duty," Putin said.
Cars, birthrates and football
The event was heavily choreographed. All questions were screened in advance and
access to the Moscow studio and the video link-up locations was by invitation
only. Beaming and perfectly coiffed presenters counted more than 2 million
questions submitted by phone, Internet, and text message - only a tiny fraction
of which were ultimately posed to the prime minister.
Putin commented on everything from the performance of Russia's football team,
which failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup championships, to the value of
Lada cars, to the country's birthrates, to the ostentatious habits of Russia's
nouveau rich, who he chastised for bad taste in the way they display their
wealth.
He denied supporting Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's presidential
bid but noted that his government was cooperating with hers.
He also called for a balanced assessment of Soviet leader Josef Stalin, saying
his legacy was not all positive or all negative. Putin praised Stalin for
industrializing the Soviet Union and winning World War II but condemned his
repression.
Copyright (c) 2009, RFE/RL Inc. Reprinted with the permission of
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington DC
20036
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