Moscow: Russia's youngest President Dmitry
Anatolyevich Medvedev will be celebrating his 46th birthday
on Wednesday amid suspense about his plans to seek second term in office ahead of presidential polls in March next.
Medvedev was elected as the youngest-ever head of the
state at 43 in March 2008 as the successor of Vladimir Putin
for the four year term.
Although, it is widely believed that Prime Minister
Putin, who had to step down under constitutional provisions
after serving for two consecutive terms in 2008, will return
to top Kremlin job.
The recent assertive tone of Medvedev after the ruling
tandem's fishing spree in Astrakhan region in Volga river
delta last month signals the possibility of his running for
the second term.
He also sounded very confident at the joint press
conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron after
their Kremlin talks on Monday.
The firebrand leader of the ultranationalist Liberal
Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), Vladimir Zhirinovsky
cautioned his party men at the pre-December 4 Duma polls
congress yesterday, to be ready for the transition to a
parliamentary democracy.
Putin, as the leader of the ruling United Russia and the
All Russia People's Front, in case of a confident victory in
the December polls could become the leader of the
parliamentary majority and would cease to depend on the whims of the Kremlin in the changed scenario, if Medvedev returns to the top job for the second term.
Many local observers expect the ruling tandem to open its
cards on September 24 on the second day of the pre-election
congress of United Russia, to be attended by both Medvedev and Putin.
Meanwhile, Medvedev is planning to spend his 46th
birthday with family and friends.
He has no public engagements on the day, Kremlin
spokesperson Natalia Timakova was quoted as saying by
Interfax.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, September 14, 2011, 12:46