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Heavy-Handed Politics

"€œGod willing, with the force of God behind it, we shall soon experience a world
without the United States and Zionism."€ -- Iran President Ahmadi-Nejad

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Will Putin Ever Retire?

By David Aikman

When will he ever retire?

Vladimir Putin by next March will have completed two terms as Russia's elected president. He's constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term--but this won't stop him from continuing to rule Russia.

At a gathering of almost fawning supporters of his political party--Unified Russia--Putin announced he'd be standing for the Russian parliament and would be available to become prime minister. That is, in his words, if "a decent, capable, efficient, modern person" be elected president. Translation: if Putin chooses the presidential candidate and that man wins, then he will gracefully accept the prime minister's slot.

If this should happen, count on the hapless president retreating to figurehead status. An energetic Prime Minister Putin would leave no one in doubt, at home or abroad, where real power lay.


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