Condoleezza Rice: Putin’s presidential bid makes a mockery of democracy

PanARMENIAN.Net - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is making a mockery of democracy by running for a third term as president, former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said.

Having already been president from 2000 to 2008 before becoming prime minister, Putin on September 24 unveiled plans to swap jobs with President Dmitry Medvedev, allowing the duo to continue their joint rule.

"First of all, the way that the whole thing was done makes a bit of a mockery of the electoral process," Rice said in an interview to promote "No Higher Honour," her memoir of serving as Republican former President George W. Bush's national security adviser and secretary of state.

Asked if it was a good idea for Putin to run again, Rice said "no" and sighed. "It's unfortunate."

If Putin is elected in March as universally expected, Rice said, there is a chance, and perhaps a probability, that he may try to limit dissent and centralize power more than he had during his earlier incarnation as president.

However, Rice, a Stanford University Soviet specialist before entering government, said Russia's integration into the world economy may over time limit his ability to curb civil and political liberties.

"There will be certain constraints and realities even for Vladimir Putin," she added, saying Russians have a greater sense of the wider world through travel and the Internet and may not tolerate political repression, Reuters reported.