Monday, August 20, 2012

RUSSIA: ANTI-PUTIN WAVE

Putin should resign to change his perception as a ruthless power hungry political leader; and then (rightfully) reclaim the throne a few months later – that’s a sleight Putin knows too well and has practised well in the past

The recent killings of human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov and newspaper reporter Anastasiya Baburova have further added fuel to fire and led to tensions with the EU President. Amnesty noted with grave concern in 2007 how Putin was rolling back civil rights in Russia. Another critical blot has been the continued trial of Russia’s richest man, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, because he allegedly financed Putin’s opponents, apart from committing corporate fraud – he’s now serving an eight year sentence.

But then, there is a flamboyant other side to Putin too. Truly, Russia has enjoyed one of the most prosperous periods of growth under Putin after Boris Yeltsin left the country in a sorry state. Between 2000-2008, GDP growth peaked at 10% (2000) and saw 5 years of GDP growth over 7% (APEC). He devised strong policies in fiscal reforms, oil prices, and external financing. Russia experienced a PPP growth of 72%, poverty rates dropped by 50% and average salaries increased by eight times. So Putin’s enduring popularity, by far the highest in the world, isn’t surprising (In 2007, Putin’s approval rating was 81%; even in late 2009, post recession, it was still 65%; Levada Center public opinion surveys). Various surveys revealed that Russians felt the country was “more democratic” under Putin than during the Yeltsin or Gorbachev years.

Given all that, there can be no denying that for all it matters, there is no better choice than Putin that Russia currently has for a leader. Then how does one handle the increasing protests? The solution is pretty simple – and one that Putin has practised well in the past. Putin should resign from his position (for a few months perhaps) and let the protest brigade run out of steam. Once that happens, he should quietly step back and reclaim the throne. Well, it has been rightfully his for years...


Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,