Russian presidential election's runaway favorite no longer excludes a second round
MOSCOW, Russia - Departing from his previous position, characterized by an absolute belief in an easy landslide victory in the first round of voting on March 4, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, the undisputed leader in the ongoing presidential election race, has said that he is now ready for a possible second round of voting in case he fails to secure more than half of the votes cast in the first round.
This statement reflects the new reality prevailing in the country after the questionable results of the parliamentary election on Dec. 4, 2011, which most of the population said was grossly falsified by the authorities in favor of United Russia, a pro-Kremlin party, headed by Putin. As a result, protest moods and sentiments have risen sharply across the country. Specifically, citizens, unsatisfied with the results of the parliamentary election, have been regularly organizing massive street protests throughout the country, with the next round of public demonstrations scheduled for February 4.
Thus, speaking during a meeting with prospective observers in the upcoming presidential election, the prime minister noted that in accordance with applicable law, a second round of voting is a real possibility if no candidate secures an outright victory in the first round. “Of course, I would not stand for an election, if I did not expect to win,” he added. "I also hope that people understand that the second round will inevitably be linked with the continuation of an electoral fight, a reality that can destabilize the political situation in our country. But there is nothing wrong with a second round of voting. I'm ready for it, and if necessary, we will also take part in the second round."
However, the March 4 Russian presidential election race’s runaway favorite is highly concerned over the fact that some of his supporters will not come out en-mass to vote, believing that victory is already in the pocket of the leader of all the popularity ratings and public opinion polls. "There is a big danger, whereby many of my supporters will not come to the polling booths, as they fully believe that I will cruise to an easy landslide victory, and therefore, they have nothing more to do," the Russian presidential candidate added.
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