Putin to Step Down, No Third Term

Seattle – According to a Kremlin source reported today on RussiaBlog.org of Discovery Institute in Seattle, Russian President Vladimir Putin will not complete his present term in office nor seek a third term.  

“According to my sources, Putin will resign before December 2, 2007, when his successor will stand in the next election,” said Yuri Mamchur, managing editor of Russia Blog, and a senior foreign policy fellow. “Putin’s term does not expire until March 2008, but apparently the Kremlin does not want to wait an additional three months. Pro-Kremlin elites are ready to launch their massive campaign well ahead of schedule.”

According to Mamchur’s sources Putin’s supporters in the Kremlin believe that picking a successor and starting the next Presidential campaign early will insure a smooth transition of power. 

Russia traditionally has held parliamentary and presidential elections several months apart. Kremlin elites believe that consolidating the national vote into the first Sunday in December will save time and money.

“There has been a great deal of speculation concerning Putin’s post-Presidential career,” said Mamchur. “Most of it has focused on his accepting an executive position with Gazprom, Russia’s state owned natural gas monopoly.”

Most Western media have predicted that Putin would seek a constitutional change to allow a third term, and then would run again.

RussiaBlog.org has been asked not to disclose the name of its source. When quoting or forwarding this story, please link to RussiaBlog.org is required. RussiaBlog.org, a news and commentary outlet, is edited by Yuri Mamchur and Charles Ganske.

RussiaBlog.org presents up-to-date news, facts and commentary on the state of events in Russia and the former Soviet Union. The Blog is managed by Yuri Mamchur, a Senior Foreign Policy Fellow with the Discovery Institute, and edited by Charles Ganske, a writer with Discovery’s Technology and Democracy Project.