Thousands attend rallies to support Putin's presidential bid
US: Tens of Thousands of the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir
Putin supporters have rallied across the country to back his bid for
presidency, in response to nationwide protests against his candidacy.
More than 50,000 people attended rallies in European Russia, Siberia
and the Far East on Saturday supporting prime minister's candidacy for a
historic third term in Kremlin.
Russian news agencies say at least 10,000 people attended a rally in
St. Petersburg, while 12,000 people turned out in the Far Eastern city
of Khabarovsk.
Rallies attended by at least 10,000 people also took place in cities
including Volgograd, Nizhny Novgorod, and Novosibirsk.
Russians are taking to the streets with increasing regularity ahead
of the March 4 election as the opposition and pro-Putin camp seek to
outdo each other with competing rallies.
A giant pro-Putin rally is scheduled for February 23 in Moscow that
organizers hope will muster 200,000 people. The opposition has accused
the authorities of using the state's resources to encourage people to
show up for the Putin rallies. The opposition has also planned a rival
rally to be held on February 26 in the Capital Moscow, who is counting
on tens of thousands to turn out to form a human chain around the
capital's inner ring road.
Polls suggest that Putin should easily win the presidential
elections, with his four registered opponents failing to provide a
significant challenge.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is reportedly due to become prime
minister under a prospective Putin presidency in March 2012 -- a job
swap bitterly criticized by the opposition.
Putin's presidency ended in 2008 after two consecutive terms because
the Russian constitution prevented him from running a third term,
however he will be free to run again in 2012.
Press TV |