On December 14, Central Electoral Commission Chairman Aleksandr Veshnyakov said the election would take place on March 9. But today the commission said that since March 9 is the day after a public holiday (International Women's Day), Russian election law mandates that the date be moved to the previous Sunday, March 2.
(Interfax, Reuters)
Russia Beyond 2008
THE 2008 QUESTION: President Vladimir Putin's second term of office ends in the spring of 2008. Since the Russian Constitution bars him from seeking a third consecutive term, this event threatens to present a crisis in a country that has a history of managed power transitions. Already, Russian politics are dominated by the ominous 2008 question.
RFE/RL's Washington office hosted a briefing to discuss the prospects of Putin seeking a third term. The featured speakers were RFE/RL Communications Director Don Jensen and political scientist Peter Reddaway of George Washington University.
LISTEN
Listen to Don Jensen's presentation (about 16 minutes):
LISTEN
Listen to Peter Reddaway's presentation (about 35 minutes):
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