President Vladimir Putin - Articles - Zimbio

Medvedev + Putin = Twice The Power!

Sun, 5 May 2008 09:39:00 GMT

posted by kylekeeton
Hello,

Interesting Article that I found in the Kansas City.com
--------------------------------------------------
By PETER FINN
The Washington Post

MOSCOW | On Wednesday, Dmitry Medvedev will walk through three gilded halls in the Grand Kremlin Palace to a rostrum where he will be sworn in as Russia’s third president, his right hand on a copy of the Russian constitution. To the strains of the national anthem, the presidential flag will be raised over the presidential residence. Medvedev will address the audience and the nation before a 30-gun salute signals the end of the ceremony and the arrival of a new leader inside the forbidding walls of the Kremlin.

The following day, with much less ceremony and more dispatch, his popular and powerful predecessor, Vladimir Putin, will almost certainly become Russia’s new prime minister. Putin will move upriver from the Kremlin to Russia’s White House, home to prime ministers, who traditionally have functioned as political errand boys for the president.

The new president and parliament will skip the traditional consultations over the choice of prime minister. “Why put it off?” asked Boris Gryzlov, speaker of the lower house of parliament. “We know whom the president will nominate.”

Since the moment last year when Putin announced his willingness to become prime minister, Russia has been gripped by questions: Who will rule Russia? Why is Putin assuming a seemingly subordinate role to Medvedev? And how long will this tango last?

“If we try to answer our favorite question — Who’s in charge?’ — we are at a loss,” said Lilia Shevtsova of the Moscow Carnegie Center. “We simply don’t know.”

Neither Putin nor Medvedev has publicly discussed the division of powers in any detail except to say they are in complete harmony about the country’s direction. The two men, who have worked together for nearly two decades, with Putin as boss, have a close personal relationship. But Russian history shows that the man in the Kremlin almost always begins to savor and exercise his authority.

Medvedev, 42,is assuming an office that according to the Russian constitution is the most powerful in the land, carrying the right to dismiss the prime minister. Under Putin, the presidential administration became the country’s unchallenged center of power, dominating parliament and the courts, reining in the media, and making leaders in the country’s sprawling regions subject to appointment by Moscow.

“Presidential power guarantees unity and the very existence of Russia,” Alexander Budberg, who is close to Medvedev, wrote this month in an essay in the newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets. “The entire country and the bureaucratic class, seized with pride, must get used to the fact: There will be a president in Russia, and not an empty throne which has been put in storage’ for four years.”

But Putin, 55, leaves office with enormous political capital and new institutional prerogatives that at the very least will make him the most powerful prime minister the country has ever seen. Since Medvedev was elected, Putin has also been named chairman of the dominant United Russia party, beginning Thursday. The party rewrote its rules to allow its new chairman to dismiss any functionary and suspend any party activity.

“That was a clear message to the elite: I’m not dead yet,’ ” Shevtsova said.

Putin did not, however, become a member of the party he will now chair; he appears to want to direct the party but remain above it, a kind of moral leader in the eyes of Russians.

Through the party, Putin will control both houses of parliament, which can impeach the president and regional governors. He will also be master of Russia’s vast bureaucracy and state-controlled companies whose ranks are full of his loyalists.

What remains uncertain is how Putin intends to exercise this power, and to what end. Is he simply biding his time before returning to the Kremlin as president, consolidating his new position so as to rule out the unlikely possibility that Medvedev might warm to the presidency and turn against him? Or has he been careful to maintain so much power in order to protect Medvedev while the neophyte president establishes his own base in a system that would devour him without Putin’s oversight? Or is there no grand strategy, and the two men, while agreeing to share power, have not looked beyond the horizon?

Olga Kryshtanovskaya, director of the Moscow-based Center for the Study of Elites, is certain of one thing. “I’m absolutely sure that Putin is coming back” as president, she said. “Whether that happens in two or four years, I don’t know. But he will be coming back for 14 years, two new seven-year terms.”

Kryshtanovskaya points to calls by political figures such as Gryzlov for parliamentary and presidential elections to be held two years apart rather than close together, as they are now. Splitting the polls that way could trigger a new presidential election in 2010. United Russia leaders have also spoken of extending the presidential term to seven years.

Such amendments to the electoral law could see Putin back in the Kremlin until 2024. Nor has Putin ruled out a return to the Kremlin; indeed, he has publicly flirted with the idea on occasion.

“I think Medvedev is a willing participant in all of this,” Kryshtanovskaya said. “Of course, there is a very small chance that Medvedev might betray him and become a real president, and some of Putin’s moves recently are to protect himself from that.”

But Sergey Markov, a United Russia lawmaker and political analyst, said that if Medvedev proves up to the job and broadly follows the policies set by Putin, then the former president will leave the stage in a year or two.

“Putin is Medvedev’s political father,” Markov said. “If Medvedev is successful, Putin will step aside. He wants to give the chance to someone else. He will not become a simple pensioner, but he is not obsessed with keeping power. Of course, if Medvedev fails, he can return.”
--------------------------------------------------
I find it interesting that people try to second guess what will happen.

I will tell you what will happen, Medvedev will be sworn in as President. Putin will be made the Prime Minister of Russia. Then behind closed doors the two men will run Russia as they see necessary!

Now we have two men, who have worked together for nearly two decades, with Putin always as the leader and have a close personal relationship. The plans that are in effect have been in effect for years.

Now Putin has twice as much power......

I hope he uses it wisely!

Kyle & Svet

Subscribe in a reader

Putin: Russia's Prime Minister!

Wed, 8 May 2008 11:13:00 GMT

posted by kylekeeton
The Russian State Duma, has endorsed Vladimir Putin as the country’s prime minister today, May 8. Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev proposed Putin’s candidacy to the parliament members yesterday.
Of 448 present at the sitting, 392 (87.1 процента) backed up Vladimir Putin by the open vote. Of State Duma’s four factions, only the Communist Party of the RF (CPRF) opposed this authority of the former president.

Putin held the Prime Minister office in 1999 and was the Russian Federation President in 2000 to 2008.

His cabinet will pay particular attention to financial and tax policy and to lowering bureaucratic pressure on the business, Putin said when presenting his program to the State Duma.

Subscribe in a reader

President Dmitry Medvedev of Russia

Tue, 7 May 2008 20:50:01 GMT

posted by Semp

For the first time, we’re able to call Vladimir Putin the FORMER President of the Russian Federation as he stepped aside today for his successor, President Dmitry Medvedev. Medvedev campaigned promising democratic reforms, some of which were repealed under Putin and while many in the US are maintaining their Cold War era prejudices against the Russian leader, the people of Russia are optimistic for their new leader.

Former President Vladimir Putin, who lead Russia to an economic and spiritual revival, was rewarded by Medvedev by being named his Prime Minister, giving the people of Russia yet another reason to be optimistic for their nation’s future.

Congratulations to President Dmitry Medvedev, to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, and to the people of the Russian Federation!

BET VLADIMIR PUTIN DOESN'T HAVE ANY NAGGING DOUBTS

Tue, 7 May 2008 23:01:00 GMT

posted by Alarcin
New Russian President and self-confessed Deep Purple enthusiast Mr Dmitry Medvedev is pictured here, being sworn in at the Kremlin yesterday . A quite historic event for 2 reasons . Firstly, the handover of control of one of the biggest nations in the world is obviously news-worthy in itself . Secondly, the photo also shows the greatest ventriloquist act in living memory because Mr Vladimir Putin's hand is nowhere to be seen !
*
And just to reassure you Vlad, I've nothing but the greatest respect for you and your regime - so no need to invite me to a sushi bar any time soon . Though a couple of tickets for the Champions League final in Moscow would be nice .
*After the farce of ersatz tours of duty and illicit helicopter rides, the royal spin doctors' campaign of rehabilitating Prince William and his brother Prince Harry Hewitt continues . Last night it was an open-air extravaganza in London to "celebrate the efforts of Britain's armed forces". The event, held outside St Paul's Cathedral, featured a light show, singing and ceremonial displays, capped by a walkabout by the royal princes . I'm sure these glittering proceedings must have provided great solace and encouragement to our troops attempting to make do with crap equipment, poor transport and non-existent logistical support in Afghanistan and Iraq .*
In Afghanistan's rural areas the Taleban are attacking girls' schools, burning books and buildings and in some cases intimidating and attacking female teachers and mutilating school caretakers . As the influence of religion seems to be regaining a foothold even in secular countries like the UK, with the government permitting unelected Cardinals and Clerics a say in policy-making on issues like embryo research, perhaps we should remember that the Taleban tactics reflect the persistent historical stance of all religions - keep the masses down living in hunger, filth and ignorance . A plague on all their rotten houses .*
Irish Finance Minister Mr Brian Cowen yesterday replaced Mr Bertie Ahern as Taoiseach . He has, because of his move from Finance to the top job, been described as "Ireland's Gordon Brown" . If that's the case it looks like the luck of the Irish has finally run out ! *So the UK government is to reclassify cannabis from "Class C" to "Class B", thereby increasing the criminality of its use and the maximum jail sentence for its possession from 2 to 5 years . I don't suppose that will deter a single user from continuing to indulge, so what's the point ? In any case, if the government is really concerned about drugs perhaps its time would be better spent trying to ensure that cancer patients currently denied life-saving drugs by the National Health Service were looked after rather than worrying about dope-heads .*
And finally fresh research published in the "New Scientist" magazine reveals that persistent nagging of men by their wives or girl-friends does work . Apparently long-term nagging of men produces in them "mental exhaustion which ultimately leaves them too tired to resist" . At the risk of sounding sexist ( and being nagged for it ) , tell us about it !

Predator Wanted (Dead or Alive)

Tue, 7 May 2008 01:06:07 GMT

posted by pafundi

The little one has gotten over his bout of Fifth disease. He was back in school today. It doesn’t seem to last very long.

Shane has received an offer to cut someone’s grass after they move. I told him he had to prove to me he could do it by cutting our grass first. That was yesterday, today, I cut the grass.

All the dogs seem to be getting along again. No fighting which is good since I really can’t afford more Vet bills.

~~~~

WANTED

INTERPOL is asking for the public’s help in identifying a man pictured sexually abusing children in a series of images found on the Internet and retrieved from the computer of a convicted pedophile.

The man, whose name, nationality and location are unknown is featured in approximately 100 images in a series of around 800, which are believed to have been taken in Southeast Asia and depict the sexual abuse of at least three boys aged between six and 10 years old. The first pictures of the man were originally discovered by police in Norway in March 2006.

“The law enforcement community around the world has done all it can to find this man who clearly presents a danger to young children, and we are now asking the public to help identify this predator and protect other potential victims from abuse,” said INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble.

Members of the public should not take any direct action themselves. JUST CASTRATE HIM!

~~~~

PUTIN’S LAST DAY

Vladimir Putin spends his last day as Russia’s President. The inauguration of President Elect Dmitry Medvedev will take place on Wednesday, May 7. Speaking about his presidency, Putin said that he was an employee who provided services to the people. He also said once that he was working for Russia like a slave on a galley.

Putin has traveled all across Russia - 212 cities - during eight years of his presidency. He also visited 74 foreign countries, ITAR-TASS reports. He conducted about 150 meetings with foreign officials a year. The Kremlin archives now store 1,409 speeches made by Putin during foreign political contacts. Putin’s last international meeting took place in the Kremlin with the Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis on April 29.

In addition to personal meetings, Putin often communicated with foreign leaders on the phone. He annually had about a hundred of such talks. Putin’s last phone conversation with a leader of a foreign country took place on May 4 with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, whom Putin congratulated on his 80th birthday.

As for large international events, Putin most often participated in CIS summits. There were 64 of those summits in total. He also took part in 17 Russia-EU summits, seven meetings with APEC and three UN General Assemblies. To crown it all, Putin participated in G8 and SOC summits eight times.

On May 7 State Duma deputies will participate in the inauguration ceremony of President Elect Dmitry Medvedev. On May 8 deputies will hold a special meeting to approve Vladimir Putin for the position of the Russian Prime Minister.

~~~~

“I don’t think we need to be subliminable about the differences between our views on prescription drugs.”

George W. Bush
September 12, 2000
Quoted by Slate magazine from comments in Orlando, Florida.

~~~~

259 Days Left
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Number of Operations Iraq Freedom and Enduring
Freedom casualties as confirmed by U.S. Central
Command: 4543

Its more than just a number