A Russian ‘election’
Washington Post: Vladimir Putin’s Russian “democracy” put on a remarkable show this week. On Wednesday, Putin accepted the abrupt resignation of the prime minister and announced the nomination of an obscure bureaucrat and personal pal, Viktor Zubkov, whom most Russians had never heard of. Friday, the parliament duly voted Zubkov into office by a count of 381 to 47 after a discussion of less than two hours. As an Associated Press reporter described it, “Lawmakers praised Zubkov, posed easy questions and gladly accepted his responses in rote exchanges” reminiscent “of Soviet-era Communist Party meetings.”
Outside the chamber, Russian and Western Kremlinologists feverishly debated the meaning of the event, which comes six months before Putin’s term-limited mandate as president expires. Was Putin preparing to install Zubkov as a puppet successor? Ensuring continuity in government while he decides on another nominee? Laying the groundwork to remain in power himself? All agreed that only the great ruler himself knew the answer to their questions.
Total control
Which, of course, is precisely the point: Putin’s exercise demonstrated that he is free to impose any diktat on Russians, at any time of his choosing, unconstrained by a genuine opposition, free media or civil society. If he likes, he can hand over the presidency to one of the relatively seasoned politicians in his government — deputy prime ministers Sergei Ivanov or Dmitri Medvedev. Or he can pick someone like Zubkov, who has been one of his cronies since his days in the St. Petersburg municipal government 15 years ago.