For example, he shocked the world in September by appointing his old St Petersburg comrade, Viktor Zubkov, as prime minister. And back then, everyone presumed this was pursuant to his Machiavellian plan for Zubkov – who was little known outside, or even inside Russia – to succeed him as president next year. In fact, here was my cynical take on this move:
I rather suspect that Putin’s appointment of Zubkov [Russia’s financial crime investigator] has more to do with protecting the billions of dollars he siphoned off from the oil companies he nationalized, than with his Stalinist ambition to serve as Russia’s president for life.
…What better way to ensure Zubkov’s trust, if not complicity in this regard, than a quid pro quo in which Putin makes him president, and Zubkov launders Putin’s loot…? Besides, Putin could even allow the 65-year old Zubkov to serve two terms and still be a relatively young 63 when it becomes his “rightful” turn to reclaim the presidency in 2016.
But Putin shocked the world again on Monday when he tapped his equally unknown protégé, Dmitri Medvedev (42), as his chosen one. And this all but guarantees that Medvedev will win the presidential election scheduled for 2 March – and probably by a landslide similar to that by which Putin’s chosen party, United Russia, won parliamentary elections 10 days ago.
The majority of Russia’s political analysts thought it was going to be Zubkov. Over the last month Medvedev was nowhere to be seen. He was sitting in his lonely government office. [Lilia Shevtsova, a senior associate at Moscow’s Carnegie centre]
Of course, the only thing that explains Medvedev selection is the fact that he will be even more deferential to Putin than Zubkov – especially on matters of national security and foreign affairs. Although, since Medvedev ran Gazprom, the state gas company that is allegedly the source of so much of Putin’s wealth, Putin may deem it even more critical for him to be a part of his St Petersburg troika (of Medvedev, Zubkov and Putin) that will rule Russia for the foreseeable future.
At any rate, Medvedev went out of his way during his first televised address yesterday to assure the Russian people (and warn the world?) that Putin shall continue to be the most powerful man in Russia:
Russia has reclaimed its proper place in the world community. Russia has become a different country, stronger and more prosperous….In order to stay on this path, it is not enough to elect a new president who shares this ideology….That is why I find it extremely important for our country to keep Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin at the most important position in the executive power, at the post of the chairman of the government.
Evidently Medvedev’s business background compels him to regard Russia as a big corporation in which he will serve as CEO and Putin as chairman of the board. Alas, such positions are not provided for in the Russian constitution. Therefore, since Medvedev will be president, the only title available for Putin’s “most important position” is that of prime minister.
But this just happens to coincide with Putin’s reorganization plan. Because, upon accepting United Russia’s “invitation” to become its leader in October, Putin asserted that even though the constitution prevents him from serving a third consecutive term as president, it provides no prohibition against his becoming prime minister – a prospect he declared then as “entirely realistic”.
Well, all indications are that it’s a fait accompli….
Hail Putin!
NOTE: If you’re wondering what becomes of Zubkov under this reorganization, I suspect he’ll gladly serve as Putin’s deputy. After all, it would be just like old times – when he served as Putin’s deputy chairman (of the External Relations Committee) in the office of the mayor of St Petersburg during the early 1990s.
Related Articles:
Putin appoints Zubkov prime minister
Putin’s party wins by landslide
Vladimir Putin, Dmitri Medvedev
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.