CPT and IRP leaders questions Putin’s first round victory

DUSHANBE, February 3, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- The upcoming Russian presidential election will not be so easy for Vladimir Putin, the Islamic Revival Party (IRP) leader Muhiddin Kabiri, who is also deputy of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament), said in an interview wit Asia-Plus.

According to him, contenders will not be able to seriously compete with Putin, because they do not have enough political weight, “but electorate that has become more discriminating in recent years may create serious problems to him.”

Leader of the Communist Party of Tajikistan (CPT) also deputy of the Majlisi Namoyandagon Shodi Shabdolov also considers that the upcoming presidential election will not be so easy for Putin.

“Current socioeconomic situation in Russia is not as good as Russian media sources describe,” said Shabdolov, “For many experts, Moscow, St. Petersburg and a couple of other large cities are the barometer of assessment of political situation in Russia.  In the meantime, schools, hospitals and enterprises are still being closed in the regions and few or none realize that Russia’s petrodollars have practically run out due to the first wave of the global financial and economic crisis and the second wave of the crisis will reduce Russian reformers’ efforts to nothing.”

“Therefore, Putin will scarcely be able to win the election in the first round,” CPT leader said, adding that it is also difficult to predict the results of the second round because there are worthy candidates among contenders to Vladimir Putin.

“Putin had fed Russian people with promises during eight years --  from 2000 to 2008, and few people now trust him,” Shabdolov said.

The 2012 Russian presidential election will take place on March 4.  The president will be elected for the new, extended term of 6 years.

Vladimir Putin (United Russia), Gennady Zyuganov (Communist party of the Russian Federation), Sergey Mironov (A Just Russia), Vladimir Zhirinovsky (Liberal Democratic Party of Russia) and Mikhail Prokhorov (independent candidate) have been successfully registered by the Central Election Commission (CEC), while Yabloko leader Grigory Yavlinsky and several independent candidates were denied registration by the CEC.  Grigory Yavlinsky was rejected due to the high quantity of invalid signatures he presented to the CEC (25.66%).