MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin was formally cleared yesterday to run for re-election as intrigue swirled around a leftist opponent seen as the only candidate who could dent his huge popularity.
Putin, a near-certainty to score a runaway victory in the March 14 poll, was registered as a candidate – a foregone conclusion – after checks by election officials to establish the authenticity of public signatures supporting him.
But it was economist Sergei Glazyev, a presidential hopeful who came to prominence in December’s parliamentary polls, who was at the centre of attention after a weekend of intrigue by the Kremlin and his left-wing nationalist bloc.
The Kremlin encouraged Glazyev’s Motherland (Rodina) bloc in December, successfully eroding the voter base of the communists and ensuring victory for the pro-Putin United Russia party.
Glazyev has since unnerved the Kremlin by demonstrating voter appeal with attacks on the “oligarch” entrepreneurial class and by standing as an independent candidate against Putin.
While not doubting a resounding victory for Putin, the signs now are that the Kremlin is regretting its December strategy.
“Glazyev could narrow the gap with the President’s personal ratings in campaigning,” analyst Vyacheslav Igrunov said in the daily Nezavisimaya Gazeta. “The Kremlin to a great extent fears it let the genie out of the bottle.” “The bureaucrats are afraid: What if Sergei Glazyev or someone else forced Vladimir Vladimirovich (Putin) to a second round? For Putin this would be defeat,” said Valery Khomyakov of the Council for National Strategy think tank.
A run-off is called if no candidate wins more than 50 per cent in the first round. It is widely assumed that Putin, with ratings near 80 per cent, will easily win the first round.
Many analysts say if Glazyev wins a comfortable second place he could become a strong contender for the 2008 presidential election, complicating the Kremlin’s plans for the succession.
Glazyev, Irina Khakamada, lone standard-bearer of the Western-oriented liberals, and two others are awaiting checks on the two million signatures they also submitted to back their candidacy. Any of them could be ruled ineligible if election officials find irregularities by February 8.
Khakamada, who accuses Putin of moving Russia towards authoritarianism and manipulating the media, has said she expects to be barred on a trumped-up technicality. – Reuters




photo:Alexander Veshnyakov, chairman of the Russian election commission, votes during registration of President Putin in Moscow yesterday. – AP
Last update on: 3-2-2004