Putin To Hold Town Hall-style "Conversation" With Russians
MOSCOW - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is to hold a town-hall style, televised "conversation" with Russians Thursday, a media event expected to reaffirm his position at the center of Russian politics. The session, where Putin will respond to questions from an audience in Moscow and e-mails and phone calls from people throughout Russia, continues a tradition he established when he was president.
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The phone-in will allow Putin to gauge "the public mood" and hear a "slice of the problems" affecting Russians, his spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told Echo of Moscow radio station.
It comes as President Dmitry Medvedev struggles to capture the public imagination, according to analysts, and as Putin's continued high profile fuels speculation about a possible presidential comeback.
Medvedev, who hasn't taken up the phone-in tradition, was due in India Thursday on the latest of a string of foreign trips.
Putin's phone-ins have generally been marathon sessions dominated by local problems such as leaky roofs and unpaid salaries, while also making room for geopolitical topics and allowing him to polish his tough-guy image.
"It's still true that a scolding from on high is the most effective instrument, unfortunately," said the popular daily Komsomolskaya Pravda, cataloging on Thursday problems Putin had solved at previous phone-ins.
The phone-in comes as legislators are making constitutional changes to lengthen presidential terms from four to six years, fueling speculation that the changes will pave the way for a Putin comeback.
Putin was barred by the constitution from standing again when his second term ended in May, as the constitution bans individuals from holding the post more than twice in a row. This wouldn't prevent a return after a period in office by his protégé Medvedev.
The official Web site for the "Conversation with Vladimir Putin" gives a list of what already have been the most-asked questions, showing that this year's event is likely to be dominated by economic issues.
While Russia recorded stellar growth rates in the second half of Putin's presidency, the economic crisis in Russia is set to drastically slow down the economic expansion and put thousands of jobs at risk.
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