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Russia's President Medvedev Says He May Run For President In 2012

by Yuliya Talmazan | September 15, 2009 at 03:51 pm

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Russia's President Dmitri Medvedev said today he does not rule out running for President again in 2012 election. Medevev came to power in March of 2008. Many still believe Medvedev's power is nominal with former President Vladimir Putin -- now in Prime Minister's chair -- defining much of Russia's politics.

Medvedev's comments come days after Vladimir Putin announced he will likely run for President in 2012. These announcements have analysts intrigued about how the election campaign will unfold in 2012. Putin and Medvedev maintain an image of very close affiliates and friends at the moment. But, come the spring of 2012, the two of them will have to find differences to help voters choose. Interestingly, Putin said that the two of them would make an agreement to make sure only one of them actually runs for President.

"A while ago, I had no intention of running for the presidency, but fate has so decreed that I am not ruling out anything," he told members of the Valdai discussion group when asked about plans for the next presidential election.

Mr Medvedev noted that Mr Putin was currently more popular than he was, but stressed he had his own plans.

Putin is still widely popular even after serving the constitutional maximum of two consecutive four-year terms as president and then tapping his protege, Medvedev, to succeed him. Last week Putin said he and Medvedev would "come to an agreement" and "decide between us" who would run in the 2012 election.

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