Swapping places

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev ended months of speculation on Saturday by announcing he will propose his mentor Vladimir Putin as presidential candidate in the 2012 election.

Medvedev, who is likely to return to the position of prime minister, made the announcement at a congress of the ruling United Russia party. Putin, who is currently prime minister and was president from 2000-2008, is widely regarded as the driving force in the country for the last 11 years, invited Medvedev to take his place as prime minister.

"It is a great honor for me," Putin said to loud cheers and applause from thousands of party members gathered in a Moscow sports stadium. "Thank you, I hope for your support."

In with the old

Putin stepped down as president in March 2008, as the Russian constitution does not allow a president to run for a third successive term. It is, however, possible to return after a break.

The presidential election, for which a date has not yet been set, is preceded by parliamentary elections on December 4. United Russia will try to keep up its dominance in Russian politics; the party currently has 312 of the 450 seats in parliament.

Although opposition parties have been largely marginalized in Russia thanks to Putin, he is still hugely popular among Russians, who respect him as a strong and decisive figure leading a huge and diverse country steeped in corruption and facing a vast gap between the poor and the super-rich.

While liberals and the West hoped Medvedev would reverse the increase in state control and erosion of civil liberties during Putin's eight-year rule, he showed little desire for a radical break with the legacy of his predecessor.

Medvedev was a little-known Kremlin official when he became prime minister, and he won the elections with Putin's support, prompting him to appoint the Russian strongman as prime minister.

Author: Nicole Goebel (Reuters, AP, AFP)
Editor: Ben Knight