RUSSIA’S NEW OLD PRESIDENT

Vladimir Putin is elected Russian president for a third term By Yu Lintao

RUSSIA’S NEW OLD PRESIDENT

Vladimir Putin is elected Russian president for a third term By Yu Lintao

The West and the opposition have denounced him as an “autocrat.” But many Russians regard him as the hero of Russia and are crazy about him. Vladimir Putin declared victory in the Russian presidential election on March 4. At that moment, Putin, widely known for never putting his emotions on public display, appeared with tears in his eyes. For him, it wasn’t just winning an election, but gaining a chance to accomplish his mission for Russian rejuvenation.

“Putin is not a man addicted to power as some have said,” said Xing Guangcheng, a research fellow on Russian studies with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).“He has established high prestige and gained wide popularity in the last decade. He didn’t choose to quit at the peak of his life because he has a sense of mission for his nation.”

Facing daunting tasks including restructuring the resource-dominated Russian economy and deepening political reform, the presidentelect has a long way to go in his third term, Xing added.

Popularity

After all ballots were counted on March 5, the Russian Central Election Commission (CEC) reported that incumbent Prime Minister Vladimir Putin had won 63.6 percent of the votes and was to be the next Russian president.

Democracy is a game of majority. Though vehemently criticized by those who dislike him, Putin is popular with the majority of Russian people. Supporters believe Putin can bring the nation economic growth and social stability.

Some people said since other presidential candidates are less popular, Putin is the only choice. Based on statistics from the CEC, even Putin’s biggest rival, Gennady Zyuganov, leader of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, took only 17.18 percent of the votes.

Western media have foisted an undemocratic and fraudulent image of Russia on both Western and Russian people, said Grigory Trofimchuk, First Vice President of the Strategic Development Modeling Center of Russia, in a video meeting with reporters on March 5. Some Western countries don’t like Putin. They hate his political opinions. For instance, Putin advocates a “Eurasian Union” to integrate the independent republics of the former Soviet Union, which will greatly change the international political order.

“There is a large gap between Putin’s image inside and outside of Russia,” said Xing of the CASS. “Putin has secured his popularity at home because most Russians believe in his capability. In the last decade, he has prevented the former superpower from falling into a second-class country.”

Putin has had a strong record since he was first elected Russian president in 2000. He was re-elected in 2004, and became prime minister after the 2008 election.

From reviving the economy to combating terrorism, from safeguarding national unity to cracking down on oligarchs, Putin and his colleagues have made Russia a new emerging power on the world stage and people’s lives have improved remarkably. A report from China’s News Agency said in January 2012 Russia’s inflation rate fell to 4.2 percent, the lowest level since 1991, when the Soviet Union disintegrated. The concrete achievements show Putin is a man of action and has gained wide support from various sectors of society.

Some media said Putin was lucky, because since 2000 crude oil prices have been surging, which brought a windfall for this oil- and gas-rich nation and propped up its economy.

“The oil revenue did help a lot,” said Xing. “But it depends on who controls the oil and how the revenue is used. If energy resources are controlled by oligarchs, nobody can guarantee the money would be used for people’s welfare.”

Challenges

Undeniably Putin’s popularity dipped slightly in this election, compared with four years ago, when he was barred from seeking a third consecutive term of presidency under the Russian Constitution.

“That’s mainly due to the financial crisis of 2008. The crisis collapsed several European governments. Russia was also affected. The living standards of some people in Russia have declined since then, which caused their resentment to the current administration,” Xing said.

CELEBRATIONS: Vladimir Putin’s supporters gather in Moscow to celebrate his presidential election victory on March 4

“Putin is not a man addicted to power as some have said. He didn’t choose to quit at the peak of his life because he has a sense of mission for his nation.”

— Xing Guangcheng, a research fellow on Russian studies with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

In 2009, the Russian economy was affected by the global financial crisis and saw its worst recession in decades, with its GDP shrinking 7.9 percent. However, with appropriate anti-crisis measures, Russia ensured a considerable 4.5-percent GDP growth in 2011.

“The rigid Russian economic structure and political corruption are big challenges for Putin. They are all long-term problems that Putin has been criticized for by his opponents,” said Xing.

In the video meeting on March 5, Yuri Krupnov, Chairman of the Movement of Development and Supervisory Board of Russia’s Institute of Demography, Immigration, and Regional Development, said, “The new government should adopt reform. Either reform or be worse.”

After winning the election, Putin held a meeting with three election rivals and invited opposition leaders for cooperation. Putin said,“We should work together to settle the problems in the country.” And earlier before the election, Putin was quoted by Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency as saying he hopes the changes can take place in a “calm, evolutionary way, in harmony between the ruling elite and the citizens.”

“Putin has taken some measures on political reform, such as re-introducing direct election of regional leaders,” Xing said. “He also promised to make adjustments to legislative elections and simplify the registration process for small parties.”

Sino-Russian relations

“Putin is unlikely to make strategic changes on Russia’s foreign policies, especially in regard to Sino-Russian relations,” Xing said toBeijing Review.

In his seventh campaign article, titled“Russia and the Changing World,” Putin hailed China’s role in the global economy and called for closer cooperation. He said the Sino-Russian relationship would be a priority of Russia’s international cooperation.

Liu Guchang, former Chinese Ambassador to Russia, said Putin’s victory is helpful for a closer Sino-Russian relationship. And for China, strengthening the bilateral strategic partnership is an important strategy for dealing with the complicated international situation.

Over the past decade, Putin has been actively promoting Sino-Russian ties along with Chinese leaders. Relations between the two countries have undergone unprecedented development.

Fyodor Lukyanov, a member of the presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy in Moscow and editor in chief of theRussia in Global Affairsjournal, told the Xinhua News Agency that Putin values China’s approach and Chinese respect and pays back similarly.

As members of the BRICS group of major developing countries and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and as permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and Russia share a lot in common.

“The two countries have had good cooperation under the framework of those international organizations,” said Xue Fuqi, a research fellow on Russian studies with the CASS.

Xue said both countries feel pressure as the United States shifts its strategic focus to the Asia-Pacific region.

“The two countries should concentrate on their domestic economic and social development despite outside disturbances. In this regard, they share the same strategic interests,” Xue said.