June 20, 2011, 15:10 News

Communist Party of the Russian Federation: both Medvedev and Putin should run for president, this is the most understandable option for society

First Deputy Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation , Vice-Speaker of the State Duma Ivan Melnikov said that nominating two candidates from the government for the presidential elections in 2012 would be the most understandable scenario for society, and connects the decision not to nominate President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin at the same time with fears of losing power.

Medvedev, in an interview with The Financial Times, said that he would not compete with Putin in the 2012 elections .

“Dmitry Medvedev’s position, of course, is a certain signal flare for the political field, since many really admit the possibility that there may be two candidates from power. Firstly, this corresponds not only to the letter, but also to the spirit of the law, because presidential elections are elections not only of a program, but also of a person,” quotes Melnikov RIA Novosti .

“Secondly, this would be the most understandable option for society in a very confusing situation, otherwise an important part of the presidential elections will de facto be held behind closed doors - within the elite,” Melnikov added.

In his opinion, if the president declares that it is inappropriate to nominate two candidates from the government, citing the fact that he and Putin represent the same political force, “then this only says one thing: the most pragmatic option is being sought, and the risks of losing power are highly assessed.”

“This means that both the strength of the opposition and the opposition sentiments of the people are seriously assessed, and not in vain,” the deputy chairman of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Central Committee is confident.

“Whoever goes to the presidential election from the ruling forces will still part with the support of that part of the population that will be disappointed by one or another turn of events,” Melnikov asserts.

At the same time, the leader of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Gennady Zyuganov does not see a fundamental difference in whether Medvedev or Putin will run in the presidential elections.

“If the country continues the course that the authorities are now pursuing, then it doesn’t matter which of the two goes to the polls, the result will be the same: the collapse of the country and the extinction of the people,” Interfax quotes Zyuganov .

“We believe that United Russia has not fulfilled a single election promise and has miserably failed all its programs, so people are now waiting for the president and prime minister to report on how they intend to change the financial and economic course of the country so that it “Finally came out of the raw material impasse,” Zyuganov said. “The authorities must support our demands to make a number of changes to the electoral legislation. In particular, we demand the mandatory participation of leaders of political parties in open public pre-election debates, and also demand strict control over the voting results in both parliamentary and presidential elections.”

Communist Party of the Russian Federation: both Medvedev and Putin should run for president, this is the most understandable option for society - Gazeta.Ru