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MEDVEDEV IS 'DEAD MAN WALKING' AS PUTIN UNDOES HIS RUSSIAN REFORMS - WASHINGTON TIMES
TERT.AM
15:11 ~U 05.03.13
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, once one of Russia's most popular
leaders, is now politically a "dead man walking" as his former mentor,
President Vladimir Putin, undermines him, leading many to predict that
the ruthless president is preparing to dump his reform-minded protege.
Mr Medvedev, 47, was always the junior partner in the Kremlin duo
with Mr. Putin, the 60-year-old former KGB officer. They even traded
the top government spots so Mr. Putin could remain in power.
But somewhere between Mr. Medvedev's term as president from 2008 to
2012 and Mr. Putin's return to the presidency in May, the political
romance faded.
Mr Putin has been reversing Mr. Medvedev's reforms, making slander a
crime again and imposing Kremlin control over the direct election of
Russian governors. Meanwhile, the pro-Putin state-controlled media
ignores the prime minister or carries negative stories about him.
Analysts generally agree that Mr. Medvedev's dismissal and political
obscurity are imminent.
"Mr Putin has already decided on the issue of Mr. Medvedev. Now it's
just a matter of time before he goes," said Andrei Piontkovsky,
a Moscow-based political writer. "This will be when it's most
advantageous for Mr. Putin."
Nikolay Petrov, an analyst with the Carnegie Moscow Center, was more
succinct: "In a political sense, Mr. Medvedev is a dead man walking."
When Mr. Medvedev was elected president five years ago, he proclaimed,
"Freedom is better than nonfreedom." He inspired a generation of urban,
educated Russians who were hoping for genuine reforms.
But Mr Medvedev proved too independent for Mr. Putin, who served as
prime minister during his presidency. Mr. Putin, president from 2000
to 2008, could not seek a third consecutive term under the Russian
Constitution and tapped Mr. Medvedev to be a place-holder until he
could run again in 2012.
There also has been widespread speculation that Mr. Putin, who as
president appoints the prime minister, could replace Mr. Medvedev
with Sergei Shoigu, the newly installed and popular defense minister.
In another high-profile slight, Mr. Putin in November personally picked
the head of the ruling United Russia party's parliamentary faction
instead of letting Mr. Medvedev, the official party leader, do the job.
Mr Putin's irritation with Mr. Medvedev stems in part from his belief
that the younger politician's support for reforms as president gave
birth to an anti-Putin movement. As prime minister late last year, Mr.
Medvedev expressed public sympathy for Mr. Putin's critics.
"Certain issues that are being voiced [by the opposition] are probably
reasonable, and the authorities should take action on them," Mr.
Medvedev said.
Mr Medvedev also spoke out for a milder handling of a feminist punk
group whose anticlerical and anti-Putin prayer in a Moscow cathedral
landed several of its members in jail last year. Mr. Putin accused the
group of "undermining moral foundations" of Russia, but Mr. Medvedev
criticized the court's harshness in imposing a three-year sentence
on the musicians.
Analysts also suggest that Mr. Medvedev's dismissal would help Mr.
Putin isolate high-level advocates of political, social and economic
reform.
From: A. Papazian
TERT.AM
15:11 ~U 05.03.13
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, once one of Russia's most popular
leaders, is now politically a "dead man walking" as his former mentor,
President Vladimir Putin, undermines him, leading many to predict that
the ruthless president is preparing to dump his reform-minded protege.
Mr Medvedev, 47, was always the junior partner in the Kremlin duo
with Mr. Putin, the 60-year-old former KGB officer. They even traded
the top government spots so Mr. Putin could remain in power.
But somewhere between Mr. Medvedev's term as president from 2008 to
2012 and Mr. Putin's return to the presidency in May, the political
romance faded.
Mr Putin has been reversing Mr. Medvedev's reforms, making slander a
crime again and imposing Kremlin control over the direct election of
Russian governors. Meanwhile, the pro-Putin state-controlled media
ignores the prime minister or carries negative stories about him.
Analysts generally agree that Mr. Medvedev's dismissal and political
obscurity are imminent.
"Mr Putin has already decided on the issue of Mr. Medvedev. Now it's
just a matter of time before he goes," said Andrei Piontkovsky,
a Moscow-based political writer. "This will be when it's most
advantageous for Mr. Putin."
Nikolay Petrov, an analyst with the Carnegie Moscow Center, was more
succinct: "In a political sense, Mr. Medvedev is a dead man walking."
When Mr. Medvedev was elected president five years ago, he proclaimed,
"Freedom is better than nonfreedom." He inspired a generation of urban,
educated Russians who were hoping for genuine reforms.
But Mr Medvedev proved too independent for Mr. Putin, who served as
prime minister during his presidency. Mr. Putin, president from 2000
to 2008, could not seek a third consecutive term under the Russian
Constitution and tapped Mr. Medvedev to be a place-holder until he
could run again in 2012.
There also has been widespread speculation that Mr. Putin, who as
president appoints the prime minister, could replace Mr. Medvedev
with Sergei Shoigu, the newly installed and popular defense minister.
In another high-profile slight, Mr. Putin in November personally picked
the head of the ruling United Russia party's parliamentary faction
instead of letting Mr. Medvedev, the official party leader, do the job.
Mr Putin's irritation with Mr. Medvedev stems in part from his belief
that the younger politician's support for reforms as president gave
birth to an anti-Putin movement. As prime minister late last year, Mr.
Medvedev expressed public sympathy for Mr. Putin's critics.
"Certain issues that are being voiced [by the opposition] are probably
reasonable, and the authorities should take action on them," Mr.
Medvedev said.
Mr Medvedev also spoke out for a milder handling of a feminist punk
group whose anticlerical and anti-Putin prayer in a Moscow cathedral
landed several of its members in jail last year. Mr. Putin accused the
group of "undermining moral foundations" of Russia, but Mr. Medvedev
criticized the court's harshness in imposing a three-year sentence
on the musicians.
Analysts also suggest that Mr. Medvedev's dismissal would help Mr.
Putin isolate high-level advocates of political, social and economic
reform.
From: A. Papazian