№ 2 - 2006
Pastukhov V.B.
Putin's Third Term as Alternative to Political Hypocrisy (Remark of a Political Cynic)

The motif of the article consists in substantiating the thesis that in the present situation — the power remaining the dominant organizing principle of Russian life and there being no real opposition in the country, able of offering a new agenda, — Putin cannot quit the power, he can only step aside from it, on creating a system of control over the successor's activity. On analyzing the general line-up of forces in the country, the author comes to the conclusion that in case Putin's reelection for a new term is rejected, the most probable scenario will be the return to a system of "party control" and the establishment of a party "diarchy", with the appearance in the party, apart from the leader (Putin), of an "appointee" — a person whom it delegates to "work" as president. In the author's estimation, the main consequence of such developments will be the formation of a bipolar political system and administrative chaos, which, as compared with keeping Putin for a third term, will cause greater damage to Russia. It will be simpler for Russia and will cost her less, the author holds, to leave Putin at his post for another five years, than to shake up the whole country in order to create conditions under which the latter will be able to rule the state from "political underground".