Putin hints he'll still have a role after 2008

Russian President Vladimir Putin told Russians Tuesday he had given them stability and a chance at last to plan their lives and, intriguingly, hinted he may stay on in an influential role after stepping down in 2008.

"I'll find my place in the scheme of things," Putin said in a marathon meet-the-people live TV show after discounting tinkering with the constitution to secure a third successive term in power.

Putin, who fielded questions from across the vast country, also responded to liberal critics who accuse him of thumbing his nose at democracy and strangling political opposition, pledging there would be no return to Soviet-style rule.

During his nearly three-hour TV appearance, the 52-year-old Kremlin leader answered questions ranging from unemployment, low pensions and soldiers' pay to the war in Chechnya and relations with Japan.

Though he played down disappointing economic estimates that showed 2005 growth lagging way behind target, he told Russians they were benefiting from a solid financial base from huge oil exports.

"All this taken together creates an absolutely stable situation in the country. People can plan their lives," Putin said.

One questioner, who praised Putin as the leader who brought stability to Russia, urged the Kremlin chief to consider a referendum to change the constitution so he could stand for a third Kremlin term.

But Putin was again emphatic he would not engineer any changes to allow himself to run again.

"I don't see my task as sitting in the Kremlin for eternity," he said drily. It was his duty, he added, to create an environment in which young talent could come forward to lead.

But his intriguing comment about finding a place for himself after 2008 suggested he plans to maintain some political influence after quitting as president to ensure the continuity of the political culture he has established.

ITAR-TASS news agency reported that when reporters later pressed him for clarification of his remark, Putin cryptically replied: "Let's maintain the suspense."

It is widely assumed that Putin will anoint a successor much as he himself was hand-picked by former President Boris Yeltsin.

Many of the questions he faced focused on poor living standards, low pensions and pay and crumbling public services.

Source: China Daily