Intrigue over 2012 election over as heavyweight Putin set to return to the Kremlin
MOSCOW, Russia - The long-awaited official statements by the powerful political duo — President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin — on the elite's chosen candidacy for their country's next presidential election were at last made today at the Congress of the ruling United Russia party in Moscow.
As largely expected, Putin, leader of the ruling party, will be candidate at the presidential elections. In other words, Putin, who worked in this position in 2000-08, is triumphantly returning to the Kremlin after a four-year voluntary self-imposed ‘exile’ in the Russian White House as head of the nation’s Cabinet of Ministers.
The current president, contrary to logic and a constitutionally possible second term as the Kremlin’s landlord, has agreed to head the United Russia list of candidates in the Duma election slated for December this year, and thereafter, take Putin’s position as the country’s prime minister, where he will focus on party affairs and continue his modernization policy and fight against corruption, amongst others.
Commenting on his largely expected-and-unexpected willful abdication of his presidential powers, Medvedev said that the decision to return Putin to the presidency was deeply thought out, calling the standing applause of delegates to his proposal an endorsement of the decision. “These standing ovations mean I don’t have to explain the depth of experience and authority that Putin has.”
For his part, Putin said that all the political arrangements with Medvedev on the configuration of nation’s power structure and distribution of authorities after the elections as well as who will do what do in the future have long been agreed on and today are being fully observed. “I want you to express my gratitude for the positive reactions to the president’s proposal for me to run as president of Russia,” he said, referring to the Congress delegates. “For me, this is a huge honor, and I hope I can always rely on your support now and in the future.”
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