ANALYSIS – Even in authoritarian states like Russia, or totalitarian ones like communist China, the leaders need to portray some semblance of electoral democracy for legitimacy.
This is why they refer to themselves as ‘president' even though they really aren't.
Please note, I refuse to call either Xi Jinping or Vladimir Putin, or any other two-bit dictator ‘president.'
For the others, I refer to them correctly as simply leaders or dictators.
With that context, we can now say that Putin has decided to ‘run' in the March 2024 presidential election, a move made possible by ‘constitutional changes' that allow him to remain in office until at least 2030 and potentially until 2036.
Putin, who turned 71 in October, could essentially remain in power for life. Assuming he isn't overthrown.
According to various Kremlin sources, “The decision has been made – he will run.”
Boris Yeltsin handed Putin the presidency on the last day of 1999. He has been leader for longer than any other Russian ruler since Joseph Stalin, beating even Leonid Brezhnev's 18-year tenure.
Between June 25 and July 1, 2020, a nationwide vote ratified constitutional reforms proposed by Putin. Two days later, Putin signed an executive order amending Russia's constitution, allowing him to run for two additional six-year terms.
More recently, Putin's leadership has been dramatically challenged.
After defusing a short-lived armed mutiny by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner mercenary group, in June, Putin has worked hard to consolidate support among his base in the security forces, the armed forces and with voters in the hinterlands outside Moscow.
This, as Wagner has been neutered and brought firmly under Kremlin control..
The Moscow Times reported:
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who has regularly claimed that Putin would face “no competition” were he to run in 2024, told journalists on Monday that “no such statements about [Putin's re-election bid] have been made, the campaign has not yet officially been announced.”
As Moscow faces increased pressure from its protracted war in Ukraine and Western sanctions, “major change [in political leadership] would not be expedient,” one of Reuter's sources said, adding that “Russia is facing the combined might of the West.”
“The world we look out upon is very dangerous,” said another source, who like the others was granted anonymity due to the sensitive nature of Kremlin politics.
The outlet added: “The Russian president has said he would announce his plans to run for a fifth term in office after the country's parliament formally called the presidential election in December.”
“Putin traditionally keeps his plans to run for election under tight wraps until the very last minute,” the Times said, adding: “But the Russian leader is effectively already campaigning, as he holds increasingly more public events and meets ordinary Russians face-to-face during his trips across the country.”
But the truth is that there is no serious rival who could challenge Putin at the ballot box. The former KGB spy reportedly enjoys approval ratings of 80%, largely due to his control of the powerful state apparatus and the state media.
Thanks also to the nationalist mobilization for his war against Ukraine, and his draconian efforts to stifle dissent and opponents, by imprisoning them or killing them, there is almost no mainstream public opposition to his continued rule.
How do you say ‘Vote Putin – 2024! President for life,' in Russian?
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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