Putin may find himself back as President but the landscape in Russia is changing

By Vladimir Afanasiev

 02 March 2012 01:54 GMT

RUSSIA’S Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is widely expected to win the country’s presidential elections on 4 March. However, observers warn that he will face more challenges to his rule after the victory.

According to opinion polls, Putin is firmly in front in the presidential race, with a share of between 37% and 53% of the votes.

None of four other candidates — Russian Communist party leader Gennady Zyuganov, Liberal Democrat party head Vladimir Zhirinovsky, businessman Mikhail Prokhorov and A Just Russia party leader Sergei Mironov — have so far been able to challenge Putin’s strong position. Each of these candidates may collect between 3% and 10% of the votes.

Political observers in Moscow expect a larger than usual attendance at polling stations this coming Sunday,…

Become an Upstream member!

Membership includes a subscription to our weekly newspaper providing in-depth news from the energy industry, plus full-access to this site and its archives. Still not convinced? Try our free trial.

Already a member?

Login

Upstream share price index