Conley
02-04-2012, 03:46 PM
City authorities said Saturday’s antigovernment crowd was larger than either of the two large antigovernment rallies in December, offering an estimate of 36,000. Organizers gave an estimate of 120,000.
With precisely a month left before presidential elections, polls show that Mr. Putin, who is currently prime minister, is far ahead of his four rivals in the race, and has a good chance of breaking the 50 percent barrier to win in a first round. If he falls short of that, he would be almost certain to win in a second round three weeks later, though the process would cast further doubt on the strength of his public mandate.
The protest movement, meanwhile, has not coalesced into a coherent political force. It lacks leaders willing or able to challenge Mr. Putin, still by far the country’s most popular politician. Maksim Trudolyubov, the editorial editor of Vedomosti, a daily newspaper, said the protests’ major impact is to broadcast a message that Mr. Putin cannot continue to rule in same highly centralized style.
“We are standing at a really important threshold for this country,” Mr. Trudolyubov said in an interview. “Right now, if nothing extraordinary happens — a black swan, or something — he is of course the president in March. But in March, he will be a very different president, a president with a different level of legitimacy.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/world/europe/tens-of-thousands-protest-putin-in-moscow-russia.html
So this one was the biggest yet, even in sub-zero temperatures. Still they are saying Putin won't have any trouble winning another six year term.
With precisely a month left before presidential elections, polls show that Mr. Putin, who is currently prime minister, is far ahead of his four rivals in the race, and has a good chance of breaking the 50 percent barrier to win in a first round. If he falls short of that, he would be almost certain to win in a second round three weeks later, though the process would cast further doubt on the strength of his public mandate.
The protest movement, meanwhile, has not coalesced into a coherent political force. It lacks leaders willing or able to challenge Mr. Putin, still by far the country’s most popular politician. Maksim Trudolyubov, the editorial editor of Vedomosti, a daily newspaper, said the protests’ major impact is to broadcast a message that Mr. Putin cannot continue to rule in same highly centralized style.
“We are standing at a really important threshold for this country,” Mr. Trudolyubov said in an interview. “Right now, if nothing extraordinary happens — a black swan, or something — he is of course the president in March. But in March, he will be a very different president, a president with a different level of legitimacy.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/world/europe/tens-of-thousands-protest-putin-in-moscow-russia.html
So this one was the biggest yet, even in sub-zero temperatures. Still they are saying Putin won't have any trouble winning another six year term.