...President-for-Life of Russia. He gets along well with other presidents for life. He is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substance. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to him. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substances...thanked Russians on Friday for his landslide re-election to another six-year term, pledging to lead the country to an economic "breakthrough."
Putin’s live televised statement came shortly after the Central Election Commission officially declared him the winner of Sunday’s election with nearly 77 percent of the vote, putting him on track to become the nation’s longest-serving leader since Josef Stalin.
"Such a powerful civic activity, your responsibility and consolidation are extremely important now when we face serious domestic and external challenges," Putin said.
The massive victory ‐ Putin’s best-ever electoral showing ‐ will strengthen the president’s hand as he ponders his choices for shaping Russia’s political future beyond 2024: Groom a dependable successor, scrap term limits or create a new position of power to keep ruling the country after his fourth term ends.
