How long will Putin stay as President?

[Frodo]

This is pretty impressive turnout for democratic and reformist forces in Russia:

Rally Defying Putin’s Party Draws Tens of Thousands

By ELLEN BARRY
Published: December 10, 2011
 
MOSCOW — Tens of thousands of Russians took to the streets in Moscow on Saturday shouting “Putin is a thief” and “Russia without Putin,” forcing the Kremlin to confront a level of public discontent that has not been seen here since Vladimir V. Putin first became president 12 years ago.

The crowd overflowed from a central city square, forcing stragglers to climb trees or watch from the opposite riverbank. “We exist!” they chanted. “We exist!”

The demonstration marked what opposition leaders hope will be a watershed moment, ending years of quiet acceptance of the political consolidation Mr. Putin introduced. The leaders understood that for a moment they, not the Kremlin, were dictating the political agenda, and seemed intent on leveraging it, promising to gather an even larger crowd again on Dec. 24.

Saturday’s rally served to build their confidence as it united liberals, nationalists and Communists. The event was too large to be edited out of the evening news, which does not ordinarily report on criticism of Mr. Putin. And it was accompanied by dozens of smaller rallies across Russia’s nine time zones, with a crowd of 3,000 reported in Tomsk, and 7,000 in St. Petersburg, the police said.

The protests were prompted by last week’s parliamentary elections and complicate Mr. Putin’s own campaign to return to the presidency. He is by far the country’s most popular political figure, but he no longer appears untouchable and will have to engage with his critics, something he has done only rarely and grudgingly.

In Moscow, the police estimated the crowd at 25,000, though organizers said there were more than twice that many. The government calculated that it had no choice but to allow the events to unfold and granted a license. There was a large police presence, including helicopters, troop carriers, dump trucks and bulldozers, but remarkably when the crowd dispersed four hours later, no detentions were reported at the scene.

[2952-0-0]

Putin made a smart move by not attempting to move against the rally and then profess to hear their concerns. If only Mubarak did the same on January 25 he might still be free today.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

Putin made a smart move by not attempting to move against the rally and then profess to hear their concerns.

I agree on that, the power responded quite smartly so far. That's how Putin could maintain his power, changing his kind of leadership, but if he stays stuck to the 2000s' Putin then...

And the situation in Egypt is too different to be compared. Since the very 25th of January, it was 'Mubarak Dégage!' (if I heard correctly they, at least sometimes, used the French word, which was the one used by Tunisians, meaning 'out'). And since the very 1st day big portraits of him were torn and so forth.

So far the protest is not so frontal and determined in Russia, but that sure would be a turn.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Don't know if it has any impact whatsoever, but billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov (third-richest man in Russia and, among other things, owner of the New Jersey Nets ) has made a surprise announcement today, saying that he intends to run against Putin in the presidential election next March.

Prokhorov had briefly served as leader of Right Cause, but left the party in September arguing that it was too pro-Kremlin.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Don't know if it has any impact whatsoever, but billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov (third-richest man in Russia and, among other things, owner of the New Jersey Nets ) has made a surprise announcement today, saying that he intends to run against Putin in the presidential election next March.

Prokhorov had briefly served as leader of Right Cause, but left the party in September arguing that it was too pro-Kremlin.

Khodorkhovski 2.0 ?

[Peter the Lefty]

Don't know if it has any impact whatsoever, but billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov (third-richest man in Russia and, among other things, owner of the New Jersey Nets ) has made a surprise announcement today, saying that he intends to run against Putin in the presidential election next March.

Prokhorov had briefly served as leader of Right Cause, but left the party in September arguing that it was too pro-Kremlin.

Oh yay, just what Russia needs, another greedy, neo-liberal US puppet just like Yeltsin.
Khodorkhovski 2.0 ?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Don't know if it has any impact whatsoever, but billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov (third-richest man in Russia and, among other things, owner of the New Jersey Nets ) has made a surprise announcement today, saying that he intends to run against Putin in the presidential election next March.

Prokhorov had briefly served as leader of Right Cause, but left the party in September arguing that it was too pro-Kremlin.

A man with gulag wish?