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Putin suggests he will remain a force after leaving office
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Race
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| Contributor | Ralphie |
| Last Edited | Ralphie Oct 27, 2006 02:09am |
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| Category | Statement |
| Media | Newspaper - Los Angeles Times |
| News Date | Thursday, October 26, 2006 08:00:00 AM UTC0:0 |
| Description | Russian President Vladimir V. Putin on Wednesday reaffirmed his intention to leave office in 2008 at the end of his second term as required by the constitution, but suggested that he might continue to wield influence.
The Russian leader's comment was taken by some observers as an indication that he might seek to exercise power from another position, such as prime minister, or that he envisioned a role such as that played by Deng Xiaoping after the late Chinese leader retired from his official positions.
Putin's statement came during a live, nationally televised session of nearly three hours during which he took more than 50 citizens' questions, submitted via telephone, video feed, the Internet and text message. The annual event has become a key means for Putin to project an image as a leader responsive to his people.
"Although I like my job, the constitution denies me the right to run for a third term in succession," Putin said in response to a question about Russia's fate after he leaves office.
Liliya Shevtsova, an analyst at the Carnegie Moscow Center, said she interpreted Putin's remarks as an indication that he was "seriously pondering" an attempt to move into a kind of unofficial paramount leader role modeled after Deng.
"The way I understood him, he doesn't want to become a party leader, a constitutional court chairman or parliamentary speaker," she said. "He knows that all these positions in today's Russia are miniature compared to the presidency. That is why he is really thinking about laying down a new tradition in the style of Deng Xiaoping." |
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