16 March 2004 22:00
`Bad omen` darkens Putin`s coronation
A BLAZE which engulfed one of Moscow's most famous buildings 100 yards from the Kremlin cast a small shadow
yesterday over Vladimir Putin's virtual coronation as the uncontested leader of Russia.
Some of Mr Putin's critics were quick to seize on the fire at the Manezh as a symbol of just how accident-prone
Russia remains, because of its ill-maintained infrastructure, four years after he first became president. During his
first year in office the nuclear submarine Kursk sank after an accident with its torpedoes, killing all on board.
There is no sign that Mr Putin will allow himself to be intimidated by such omens after his electoral triumph in
which he won 71.2 per cent of the vote to secure a second four-year term. His closest rival, the Communist Nikolai
Kharitonov, won just 13.7 per cent of the vote and the other four candidates failed to get into double figures. A brisk
looking Mr Putin appeared at a late-night press conference at his election headquarters to promise that order and
stability would be a main feature of his next term of office. He said: "I promise you for the next four years I
will work in the same mode [as before]."
Mr Putin's undoubted popularity stems from the lack of shocks for most of the 145 million Russians since he came
to power, in contrast to his predecessor, Boris Yeltsin. Everything in Mr Putin's public image is geared to
reinforce this sense of security. It is combined with a modest increase in the Russian standard of living stemming from
significant economic growth and the high price of oil.
European election observers criticised the vote yesterday, claiming that slanted coverage in the state-run media made
for a one-sided campaign. They also said there were significant flaws in the counting of votes. The campaign and
balloting "overall did not adequately reflect principles necessary for a positive democratic election
process", said Julian Peel Yates, head of a joint mission from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in
Europe and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Such criticism is unlikely to give Mr Putin much pause.
The Central Election Commission claimed the campaign passed without any significant breaches of election law.
Asked about American critics of the Russian political process such as Colin Powell, the US Secretary of State, Mr
Putin drew attention to the controversy over the election in Florida which led to George Bush entering the White House.
Mr Putin said some "see the splinter in another's eye and ignore the log in his own". He added that
Russia would consider the criticism and "if we think there is something to think about, we will draw the
corresponding conclusions".
The problem for Mr Putin is that, despite strengthening the administration, he has not done very much. Nevertheless,
the partial restoration of the state machinery is widely popular, all the more since its many failings often go
unreported. While development is obvious in and around Moscow and the larger cities, much of the infrastructure of the
country, from water pipes to railways, has not been adequately maintained since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The cause of the fire at the Manezh, where the roof caved in and only the walls are standing, is not yet known but it
is one of a series of disasters in recent years. The Manezh, once the Tsar's Imperial Riding School which was built
in 1817 to celebrate the defeat of Napoleon, had been used in recent times as an exhibition centre.
[The Independent] |
RUSSIA IN FACTS
