Putin returns to Kremlin under protest shadow
MOSCOW: Vladimir Putin yesterday began a historic third term as Russian president in a glittering Kremlin ceremony overshadowed by the arrests of hundreds in protests against his 12-year domination of Russia.
Putin, head of state from 20002008, took over from outgoing president Dmitry Medvedev swearing to protect the rights of Russian citizens and also pledging a “new stage” in Russia’s development.
The Kremlin bells echoed across Moscow and the presidential guard donned Tsarist-era uniforms for the brief but spectacular inauguration whose guests included old friends of Putin including Italian ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi.
Placing his hand on a copy of the constitution, Putin swore to “respect and protect the rights and freedoms of the people” and defend Russia’s security as he officially took over from Medvedev.
Yet activists accuse Putin of systematically sacrificing rights in the pursuit of stability and lacking legitimacy after his knockout March 4 election victory with 63.6 percent of the vote, which was marred by claims of fraud.
The eve of the ceremony saw the worst clashes yet between police and anti-putin protesters when a mass opposition demonstration descended into chaos and security forces wielded their batons to arrest hundreds of people.
Police said that 436 people were detained at Sunday’s protest, including the anti-putin leaders Alexei Navalny and Sergei Udaltsov who now face the prospect of spending at least the next two weeks in jail.
On Monday, Moscow police had arrested another 120 people, including liberal opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, during an unsanctioned rally against the inauguration close to the Kremlin walls. Police said they would all be released after a warning.
The mass arrests were in stark contrast to peaceful mass antiPutin protests last winter, which smashed the taboo against big opposition rallies. For the first time, both police and opposition said dozens in their ranks had been injured.
But Putin said in a brief speech after his swearing-in that Russia was now “reborn” and vowed to take it to a “new stage” of development during his six-year Kremlin mandate.
“We will have to decide tasks of a new level, a new quality and scale. The coming years will be decisive for Russia’s fate for decades to come,” he said.
Committing to project a strong Russia in foreign policy, Putin said Moscow would be a “reliable, open, honest and predictable partner” but also “the center of gravity for the entire Eurasia.” The inauguration was marked by needle-sharp choreography, with Putin driven from the government headquarters through eerily deserted Moscow streets blocked off by police and then into the Kremlin itself.