Putin Eyes Return to Russian Presidency

Prime minister says he and Medvedev will decide who gets to run in 2012
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 12, 2009 6:24 AM CDT
Putin Eyes Return to Russian Presidency
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, left, is seen during a meeting with at Prime Minister Vladimir Putin at the Gorki presidential residence outside Moscow last week.   (AP Photo/RIA-Novosti, Mikhail Klimentyev )

Vladimir Putin hinted yesterday that current Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is just keeping his seat warm for him until he can return to his old job in 2012, the Financial Times reports. The prime minister—barred by the constitution from seeking a third consecutive term as president last year—said he and Medvedev would decide between them who would seek the presidency in Russia's 2012 election.

Putin denied that there would be any friction over the presidency, though his handpicked successor has recently shown signs of moving away from Putin's political positions and authoritarian approach. "There was no competition between us in 2007 and we won’t have any in 2012," Putin said. Russia recently changed its constitution to extend the president's term to 6 years, meaning Putin could potentially be president until 2024.
(More Dmitry Medvedev stories.)

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