Russian President Vladimir Putin Thursday promised a democratic
election for the presidency, saying there will be only "candidates"
for the post, not "successors".
"There will be no successors, there will be candidates for the
presidential post, and the task of authorities is to secure a
democratic way of coverage of their election campaigns and
statement of stances so that citizens can make a choice," Putin
told a press conference in the Kremlin.
Putin, whose second term as president will end 2008, has
repeatedly vouchsafed he would not seek a third term.
He made the remarks while answering questions at a marathon
annual news conference lasting three hours and 31 minutes.
He told reporters in the Kremlin's Round Hall: "I reserve the
right to express my preferences but I will do it only during the
election campaign".
Looking relaxed and confident, Putin joked with reporters,
hailing Russia's economic might and striking a notably conciliatory
tone in remarks about Russia's former Soviet neighbors and recent
antagonists Ukraine, Belarus and Georgia.
But in remarks likely to concern European governments who depend
heavily on Russian gas imports, Putin for the first time commented
favorably on the idea of creating an OPEC-style group of gas
producers.
Russia, the world's top gas producer, has recently been in talks
with fellow gas powers Iran and Algeria.
"Gas OPEC is an interesting idea," Putin said. "We are trying to
coordinate our efforts in third country markets. We do not intend
to set up a cartel but we will continue to coordinate our
activities bearing in mind the key goal of serving the energy
security of our customers."
The Russian president also sharply criticized US plans for an
anti-missile shield based in Central Europe to shoot down hostile
incoming rockets.
Washington's arguments about needing protection from Iran and
terrorists were unconvincing since neither possessed long-range
ballistic missiles, he said.
The US plan directly affected Russia and would prompt a "highly
effective" response from Moscow, he added. Russia was already
testing military technology which would make the missile defense
system irrelevant, he said.
Energy not political weapon
Putin rejected Western criticism that Russia wields its vast
energy resources as a political weapon to reward allies and punish
countries failing to toe the Kremlin's line.
Russia cut off gas supplies to Ukraine in January 2006 and
briefly halted oil deliveries to Belarus last month. Both stoppages
occurred following rows over Moscow's attempts to reduce energy
subsidies to its former Soviet neighbors.
"We are always told that Russia is using its ... economic
resources to achieve its foreign policy aims. This is not the
case," Putin said. "Not only did Russia grant sovereignty to these
republics, it provided enormous subsidies ... for 15 years. Fifteen
years is a sufficiently long period of time. It cannot go on
forever."
Closing the gap
Putin said that although Russia's GDP reached US$1 trillion last
year, its main priority was still to raise living standards.
Russia's rapid and unpredictable road to capitalism since the
collapse of the Soviet Union has seen huge disparities in wealth
emerge between billionaire businessmen and dirt-poor peasants eking
out an existence in shrinking villages.
"Everything has to be subordinated to raising living standards
and the quality of life," Putin commented. It was vital to "narrow
the gap between wage earners".
Quizzed about the high-profile murders last year of two Kremlin
critics, former spy Alexander Litvinenko and journalist Anna
Politkovskaya, Putin said he did not believe in conspiracy theories
and hoped police would solve both crimes.
(China Daily via Xinhua and agencies, February 2,
2007)
