Medvedev not ruling out run in 2012 elections

By DAVID NOWAK, Associated Press Writer

MOSCOW – President Dmitry Medvedev said Tuesday he hasn't ruled out running for a second term, Russian news agencies reported — adding new intrigue to the question of who will assume the presidency in 2012.

Medvedev's comments, made to a group of Western experts on Russia, came just days after his mentor and current prime minister, Vladimir Putin, indicated he was also interested in returning to the post, an announcement that sparked speculation about the possibility of behind-the-scenes Kremlin jockeying.

Medvedev is striving to carve out his own leadership style and step out of Putin's formidable shadow.

Medvedev, who some say is merely a mild-mannered placeholder for Putin, was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti and Interfax: "A while ago, I had no intention of running for the presidency, but fate decreed it. So I am not ruling anything out."

Putin is still widely popular even after serving the constitutional maximum of two consecutive four-year terms as president and then tapping his protege, Medvedev, to succeed him. Last week Putin said he and Medvedev would "come to an agreement" and "decide between us" who would run in the 2012 election.

One thing's for sure, Putin said — they won't run head-to-head.

On the same day he spoke, Russian newspapers published an article written by Medvedev that lambasted the country's outdated economy, a lack of competitive politics and excessive state influence in everyday life.

Medvedev reaffirmed those sentiments on Tuesday and said that "every leader should have his own plan" for Russia's development.

Some analysts said the article showed Medvedev was trying to steer Russia in a different direction than Putin. Others said the apparent divergence from Putin's line is purely for show.

"There is no way for differences to be cast between the two," political analyst Yulia Latynina said. Medvedev's task, she argued, is to continue implementing Putin's policies until Putin is constitutionally allowed to return.

After assuming the presidency last year, Medvedev was portrayed as a more liberal-leaning politician than Putin, who reversed many of the democratic achievements of his predecessor, Boris Yeltsin.

But his liberalizing touch has been hardly visible — and limited to words rather than actions, analysts said.

Few of Medvedev's inauguration promises of the greater rule of law and increased media freedoms have been realized. Critics also point to a series of murders of Kremlin critics and journalists — Novaya Gazeta reporter Anna Politkovskaya and Forbes Russia editor Paul Klebnikov, among others — and the fact that the murders' masterminds have not been found or prosecuted.

The recent killings of Chechen rights activist Natalya Estemirova and human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov has also added to an air of impunity for those targeting government critics.

Medvedev has also made several moves that echoed Putin's authoritarian tendencies, for example taking credit for the decision to go to war in Georgia last year. Last December Medvedev signed an amendment to the constitution extending the presidential term from four to six years — a legal change that will come into force for Medvedev's successor.

Moscow Carnegie Center analyst Lilia Shevtsova said discussions over future presidents were encouraged at the meetings with the Western experts — called the Valdai Discussion Group — so less time would be devoted to holding either leader accountable for the country's problems, such as the rampant violence in the North Caucasus.

"Why are all the media discussing this issue? It distracts the nation. The participants could have asked him, 'Where are your economic reforms? Why is there still no peace in the Caucasus?'" Shevtsova said.