Putin rules out third term as president

RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin has ruled out running for re-election in 2008, the Kremlin said yesterday.

Amid continuing speculation about the Russian leader’s wish to remain in power despite a constitutional bar on a third consecutive term, Mr Putin told a group of media executives that he would not seek to change the constitution.

“I will not change the constitution and in line with the constitution, you cannot run for president three times in a row,” he said, according to the presidential administration.

Mr Putin pointed out that he could theoretically seek a third term at a later date. But he added: “True, I am not certain that I want to.”

However, political analysts said that Mr Putin’s team is still casting around for ways to ensure it keeps control of the country when the president is due to step down in 2008.

One option floated in political circles was to change the constitution to make the presidency ceremonial, turning Russia into a parliamentary republic in which Mr Putin as prime minister would continue to hold the reins of power. But that appears to have been shelved because of resistance to such a radical change to the political system, said Olga Kryshtanovskaya, a political observer who specialises in the Russian elite.

Instead, another possibility could be to shift much of the powers from the presidency to the prime minister, leaving Mr Putin’s successor with a limited role - which could be achieved without amending the constitution, she added.

As prime minister, Mr Putin could then serve four years from 2008 before enjoying the right to run for president for another two consecutive terms.

“The clan in power under Putin has to complete the redistribution of assets and safeguard their gains,” Ms Kryshtanovskaya said.

A new class of wealthy functionaries has arisen in the past few years as the state role in the economy has grown. The dismemberment and partial renationalisation of the Yukos oil giant, ostensibly as a crackdown on oligarchs, has profited Kremlin insiders.

Political analyst Andrei Piontkovsky said that Putin’s main concern was to ensure his successor was a pliable figure who would not harm his interests.

“He is ready to leave his post but he wants guarantees of immunity,” Mr Piontkovsky said.