New Russian president will 'preserve Putin course'

Dmitry Medvedev won a landslide victory in the election to replace his patron Vladimir Putin as Russia’s president, promising to continue on Mr Putin’s path and to appoint him prime minister.

The result promises a smooth leadership transition for the resurgent global power, but raises questions about who will genuinely be calling the shots.

Mr Medvedev was Mr Putin’s endorsed choice as successor and that made his election over weak challengers a foregone conclusion.

With 80% of the precincts counted, he had more than 69% of the votes.

But despite the election’s lack of suspense, the world closely followed it for signs of how this sprawling nation, with its immense oil and gas reserves, will engage with global rivals and partners at a time of rising commodities prices.

Most Russians expect the mild-mannered, 42-year-old Mr Medvedev to follow Mr Putin’s lead – perhaps even allowing his mentor to rule from behind the scenes.

Although Mr Medvedev has presented himself as a liberal, he has also been one of the key implementers of Mr Putin’s drive to give the Kremlin a near monopoly on political power in Russia.

Analysts will be looking for signals of changes in Kremlin policy under Mr Medvedev, whose rhetoric has presented a more democratic, Western-leaning face to the world than Mr Putin.

At a news conference early today, Mr Medvedev was asked who would run foreign affairs – him or the prime minister.

“Under the constitution, the president determines foreign policy,” he said.

Mr Medvedev ran against three rivals apparently permitted on the ballot because of their loyalty to the Kremlin line.

But the two candidates – Communist Party chief Gennady Zyuganov and ultranationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky – still alleged violations after the voting ended.

Mr Zyuganov, Mr Medvedev’s nearest challenger with 18% in the incomplete results, said he would dispute the result. Mr Zhirinovsky threatened to do so as well, before backing down.

“Our candidate, Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, has taken a firm lead,” Mr Putin said, appearing alongside his protege at a celebration at the Red Square outside the Kremlin.

“I’m congratulating Dmitry Anatolyevich and I wish him success,” Mr Putin said.

“Such a victory carries a lot of obligations. This victory will serve as a guarantee that the course we have chosen, the successful course we have been following over the past eight years, will be continued.”

Mr Medvedev said: “We will increase stability, improve the quality of life and move forward on the path we have chosen. We will be able to preserve the course of President Putin.”

That teacher-pupil relationship will be tested immediately after Mr Medvedev’s inauguration.

Mr Medvedev has said he would propose making Mr Putin his prime minister, and Mr Putin has said he would agree.

Liberal opposition leaders Garry Kasparov and Mikhail Kasyanov were barred from running on technicalities, and voters across Russia say they were being urged, cajoled and pressured to vote in an effort to ensure that Mr Medvedev scored a major victory.

Mr Kasparov held his own protest against the election Sunday near Red Square. Escorted by a dozen riot police, he carried a plastic shopping bag that read: “I am not participating in this farce.”