Kremlin plots to secure Putin a third term

[emad]

Kremlin plots to secure Putin a third term
By Adrian Blomfield in Moscow
(Filed: 24/08/2005)

Kremlin loyalists across Russia have begun a concerted campaign to rewrite the country's constitution to allow President Vladimir Putin to serve a third term.

The initiative is likely to cause alarm in the West where there is growing concern at the Kremlin's assault on democracy.

President Putin on whether he'll stand: 'Perhaps I might want to'
The catalyst for the enthusiasm for ending the ban on a president serving more than two terms was a recent remark Mr Putin made in Finland. The president, in power since 2000, had always been categorical that he would not stand again.

But on this occasion he was coy. "Perhaps I might want to," he said. "But the country's constitution doesn't allow it."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/08/24/wruss24.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/08/24/ixnewstop.html

HOPE this doesn't give ShrubCo any ideas......

[HereSince1628]

1. The most important step in a Republic's history is transition of leaders

Russia doesn't have a great track record on this. I've been to Russia many times, I think the Russian people are generally "salt of the earth."

I hope that Putin decides that establishing a tradition of peaceful transition between competitively elected leaders is what Russia needs.