Representatives of four parties - two in power and two not - met with the Russian president and suggested that he consider Dmitry Medvedev (at the president's left).
Photo: ITAR-TASS
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Independent Politicians Nominate Medvedev
// They took Putin's candidate away from him
Russian President Vladimir Putin had the leaders of four parties met in to his office for him. The president agreed with their choice. In the opinion of Kommersant special correspondent Andrey Kolesnikov, who was there in the office with them, the president didn't have to think twice.
The Monday meeting with the government was delayed. Those meetings don't usually start earlier than 1:00, but not usually later than 1:30. Journalists were waiting outside the door after 2:00 while the meeting was going on. There were not many of them. Coverage of the meeting was for only the most devoted to their jobs.
When we were finally called, I was amazed to be led into the president's office, instead of the hall where the cabinet was waiting for him. No one would say what was going on. As we approached the door to the office, I saw a large crowd of people around it. They were the kind of people who were allowed to be there, but had little reason to take an interest in the meeting with the government.
Putin entered the office with United Russia leader Boris Gryzlov. They were followed by Just Russia leader Sergey Mironov, Civil Front leader Mikhail Barshchevsky and Agrarian Party leader Vladimir Plotnikov. There was no telling who might follow them, but that seemed to exhaust the guest list for the president's office.
It was only after they were all seated that I realized that I didn't see the elephant come into the living room. There was First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev sitting at the president's left hand with the party officials.
They didn't even need to say it. Sit there in silence, leave, and it would have been clear, the story would have been written. It was so simple that I started thinking it couldn't be possible. I immediately wanted a new mystery.
“Vladimir Vladimirovich,” Gryzlov addressed the president, “the results of the elections to the State Duma were announced on Saturday.”
Putin nodded rather tensely.
“Now the presidential campaign is underway and the parties that entered the Duma in accordance with the law should think about their candidate,” Gryzlov continued. “We thought that it would be good to base ourselves on a broad range of political forces in deciding on a candidate for future president, accordingly, the leaders of four political parties, United Russia, Just Russia, the Agrarian Party, and Civic Front, got together to discuss a candidate for the presidential election.”
It was all going very fast. We came in quickly, quickly sat down and they began to talk quickly, like a newsreel, which is what it actually was.
“The consultations were quite friendly. We would like to present to you the name of the candidate we have all agreed to support – First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev,” Gryzlov continued, thus going down in history. “We think that he is the candidate most attuned to society's needs. He has already proven himself in managing the national projects and the demographic program. He has achieved real results, and it is this that is most important. We think that we could make raising living standards the slogan for our work over the next four years, after all, only the first steps have been taken. We all think that Dmitry Medvedev could head this work, and we wanted to discuss this matter in detail with you today.”
“Dmitry Anatolyevich, have you been consulted on this?” the president asked.
“Yes,” he answered, “there were preliminary consultations and they were positive. We will continue these discussions today and tomorrow.”
Other people had named his successor, but the president still had to say something. “We have a lot of political events crammed into a rather short period of time. With New Year upon us this is not the most agreeable work to take on, but life has to continue,” he offered, “and the law requires that we begin the presidential campaign. This proposal has come from four political parties, two of which are not only represented in the parliament but hold a stable majority, and all four parties together represent a broad spectrum of Russian society and speak for the interests of a diverse range of groups. This indicates that we have the opportunity to establish stable government after the 2008 election, and not just stable government but government that will continue the policies that have produced positive results over these last eight years.”
And now, since he had not named his successor, he could approve or disapprove the choice of others, or not comment at all. He approved. “As for the candidacy of Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, I can say that I have known him for more than 17 years now and have worked closely with him throughout these years, and I fully and wholeheartedly support this choice. Thank you.”
What was he thanking them for? For making the perfect choice? For playing their role so well? He knew no one would take what they said literally and that everyone would give the little theater piece the attention it deserves, that is, none. All that was important was the name.
Nonetheless, 15 minutes later, when the meeting broke up, the politicians went out to talk to the press and give them more details. Gryzlov insisted that he began consultations with Mironov on Saturday, and then they decided to bring Barshchevsky and Plotnikov into the discussion. Understandably, there was no place for LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky or Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov. They had been professional presidential candidates themselves for years.
Mironov was even more talkative. Putin “literally said the following: It should be a young, modern, professional person…'” So now we know how they chose Medvedev. “Not only that, there is an interesting detail. Dmitry Medvedev's teachers at Leningrad State University were the same professors who were Vladimir Putin's friends since their student days. They were the ones who suggested Dmitry Medvedev to Vladimir Putin as a specialist of the highest class,” Mironov said. He knows how to make a person sound exciting.
“Medvedev is a brilliant lawyer with an excellent knowledge of civil and international law,” Mironov continued. “He has worked in the presidential administration, in the government, has been a permanent member of the Security Council for many years, he knows defense and security issues very well… For me personally, it is important that he is one of Vladimir Putin's closest advisors…”
“Agriculture is experiencing many problems,” and we hope that Dmitry Medvedev working to develop the agriculture industry complex, because that work has to be advanced,” Plotnikov said, straightening his shoulders and blushing. “We think that he is ready for that work.” Thus Plotnikov has revealed himself as someone whose opinion matters too.
“For me, he is a lawyer, a civil advocate,” Barshchevsky added, “a person of absolutely democratic views.”
I asked the four how much longer their consultations would last now that they have informed the president of their choice. It would be inconvenient, to say the least if they changed their minds at this point. Gryzlov answered that they would continue at least another day, then Medvedev would be for president at the United Russia Party congress on December 17 (regardless of the outcome of the further consultations, apparently).
The ministers, who were still waiting for the president and Medvedev in the next room, knew what was going on. Sergey Ivanov and Viktor Zubkov, as other potential successors, had been told in advance by Putin personally, and the rest knew even though they didn't have to and wouldn't have admitted that they did. One glance at them around the table said that the change of prime ministers in the autumn was a much greater surprise for them than this. Ivanov smiled and tried to make jokes. Zubkov didn't bother. He had understood his place in history not long after his appointment as prime minister.
Medvedev didn't attend the meeting. He was scheduled to, but journalists were told that he was continuing his consultations. It was unclear with whom, however. The party leader put on their coats and left and the president was here.
Minister of Economic Development and Trade Elvira Nabiullina told the president that the GDP “has an upward dynamic.” First Deputy Prime Minister Sergey Ivanov said that the hi-tech people in Zelenograd had developed microchips “on the highest topological level,” and Deputy Prime Minister Sergey Naryshkin reported that the government had issued an order on the construction of the Prikaspiisky gas pipeline.
The journalists saw in specific examples that life had to continue. But the president had to return to the topic of the presidential campaign because the law requires it.
“Unfortunately, we are forced to do it just before New Year,” the president said again, as if apologizing for ruining people's holidays.
Andrey Kolesnikov
All the Article in Russian as of Dec. 11, 2007
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