Russia’s next president will not be a “successor” but the choice of the people in democratic elections, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.
“I’ve said there won’t be a successor — there will be candidates. The authorities’ task is to ensure the democratic character of the elections … so that citizens can make their choice,” Putin said at his annual news conference.
Putin qualified his comments by saying he would express a preference in the official campaign period ahead of a presidential election due on March 2 2008.
“I’m also a citizen of Russia, which I’m very proud of, and of course I reserve the right to express some kind of preference. But I will do that only during the pre-election campaign period,” Putin said.
Speculation is intensifying about who will succeed Putin in the Kremlin at the end of his second term in 2008.
Critics have accused Russia’s authorities of undermining democracy by reining in the media and stifling democratic opposition, prompting predictions that the choice of president will be carefully stage-managed.
The Constitution forbids holding the post for more than two terms in a row, necessitating Putin’s departure, although he has said that he will continue in an influential role.
Analysts say that likely successors include Gazprom chairperson and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov. — AFP