Staging another election to prolong Putin's rule

At the same time, some protestors reach the office of the KGB, the intelligence agency of the Soviet Union, located across the road. After assessing the security challenge, the main gate security personnel call the group in the office. Soon after, an officer leading the group says, "Don't try to forcefully enter this property." Our comrades are equipped with weapons and we have the right to use them in case of emergency.' But the KGB officer who had reached Nirkyol when the problem had arisen called the headquarters of the Red Army for help. But the answer he received was very unexpected, "We are not in a position to do anything without Moscow's order and Moscow is calm."

Soviet Union was in power - Mikhail Gorbachev. With the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989, the Soviet Union was not only losing its 'satellite state', it was also on the verge of disintegration. In addition, the two Germanys were on the road to unification. At that time, Germany was divided into two countries and was separated by the 'Berlin Wall'. Soviet Union in East Germany and American influence in West Germany.

In particular, a KGB office in East Germany was not a priority for Moscow, which was in trouble of its own at the time. After receiving no help from Moscow, the official destroyed important documents in the office before the protesters got their hands on them. The phrase "Moscow is quiet" follows the official from time to time. Because, those officials are now themselves "Moscow". And that is, Russian President Vladimir Putin.

On October 7, 1952, Putin was born into an ordinary family in St. Petersburg, Russia (the then Soviet Union). In 1975, Putin joined the KGB (National Security Committee), the Russian intelligence service, after attending mandatory military training for young men at the time.

In the city of Dresden in East Germany, he worked as a spy for the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1990 under the guise of an interpreter. Putin visited various countries during his more than a decade and a half of intelligence service. But a five-year stint in East Germany proved crucial to his political future. The main reason for that is regular contact with higher authorities. It was then that Putin learned and practiced power, strength and strategy. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union, 15 independent states emerged: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. Russia became the largest country in terms of non-political reach, influence and geography.

In particular, Putin's political career began after that. He retired from the KGB as a lieutenant colonel in 1991 to take charge of expanding the external relations of Leningrad University in Russia. But shortly thereafter he became an adviser to Sobchak, the first elected mayor of St. Petersburg. Putin moved to Moscow two years later, becoming the city's deputy mayor in 1994.

Putin, known for his role in ending corruption and disorder in St. Petersburg, served as the Kremlin's deputy chief administrator in the Russian presidential office. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union, after Mikhail Gorbachev resigned, Boris Yeltsin was in power. Yeltsin made Putin director of the Federal Security Service (FSB) in 1998. At that time there was a kind of chaos in Russia. Russia, which the West made a dirty joke of, was looking for a stern but honest ruler. Yeltsin appointed Putin as prime minister in 1999 with a mission to reduce corruption. After Yeltsin unexpectedly resigned on December 31, 1999, Putin became acting president for four months.

Putin's presidency began with a conflict with Chechnya. After defeating the Chechen rebels with organized military operations, he spread across Russia. During the attack, Putin flew a fighter jet over Chechnya in March 2000. Putin was elected as the Russian president for the first time in the same month's elections.

Putin, who has been president for two consecutive terms since May 7, 2000, was removed from office due to legal provisions. But in line with his strategy to maintain control of power, he elected his confidant Dmitry Medvedev as president and became prime minister in 2008. During the tenure of Medvedev, who was Putin's "rubber stamp" president for four years, the term of office of the president was extended to six years. Putin, who became president for the third time in 2012, was elected for the fourth time in 2018.

Putin, who was elected to a final six-year term in 2018, opened the way for two more terms in 2021 through a new law. The 71-year-old Putin is legally eligible to serve two more terms (up to 12 years) as president.

President Putin held a press conference on December 19, 2019 and announced the necessary amendments to the constitution. According to which he got the constitution amendment proposal passed by the parliament. He also held a referendum in 2020 on the proposal approved by the parliament. According to the Russian Central Election Commission, 65 percent of voters participated in the "constitutional reform referendum" and 77.92 percent voted in favor of Putin's proposal. However, most international observers questioned the outcome of the referendum. They claimed that voters were intimidated, the same voter cast his vote multiple times and security personnel were deployed to influence voting.

In the first term of the presidency, Putin has access to power and money since he opposed the oligarchy by maintaining control over the media, fuel traders. Lately, Putin seems to be able to cloak his every action in government decisions and legal process. Putting the economy in charge of liberal-minded technocracy and politics is like blindly trusting former KGB officials, Putin says. In addition to that, he seems to be successful in assuring the people that the claim of the supporters that "there is no Russia without Putin" is correct. If necessary, he strengthens his power through repression and military force.

Putin, who is over seven decades old, is fit. Sometimes seen bathing in a cold lake in Siberia or fishing, it is common for Putin to hunt in the forest, ride horses, play ice hockey and judo, fly a fighter plane, drive a submarine, and drive a heavy vehicle. An infallible shooter, Putin is also fond of dogs and watches. At 5 feet 7 inches tall, Putin is very fashion conscious.

After suppressing the Chechen rebellion, Putin annexed Crimea to Russia. Not only attacked Lebanon, but also intervened militarily in Syria. The news of collusion in the election to win the US presidency of Donald Trump also came out. The American intelligence agency even concluded that the election was colluded. Lately, the attack on Ukraine has been going on.

Putin, well aware of the problems the country faces when the leadership is weak, does not know how to compromise with anyone for power. This behavior of Putin has been termed as ``Attari ruler'' by Western countries including America.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is probably the single most powerful dictator in the world. The West views Russia as part of the Soviet Union, while President Putin is considered the most powerful ruler since Stalin. In the 1990s, Putin got this title only because he was able to take Russia out of chaos and re-establish it as a world power.

In public events, Putin praises the 18th-century Russian emperor 'Peter the Great'. Although a brutal and arbitrary ruler, Peter the Great was an admirer of Western thought, science and culture. More recently, he has compared the Ukraine war to the war fought by Peter three centuries ago to expand the country's territory. Russia fought the Great Northern War for 21 years as Peter controlled territory from the Baltic to the Black Sea. In addition, Peter tried to modernize Russia by developing St. Petersburg as the window to Europe. But critics say Putin's repressive regime and the Ukraine war have closed that window.

A presidential election is being held in Russia amid Russia-Ukraine tensions. Especially, the upcoming elections are being viewed with great importance at a time of strained relations with the US and its allies. The March 15-17 election is also seen as a referendum on Putin's decision to invade Ukraine.

February 24 marks two years since Russia invaded Ukraine. During this period, the residents of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson, the Ukrainian territories controlled by Russia, are also voting for the Russian president for the first time.

In Russia, citizens over the age of 18 can vote for president. But those in prison or convicted of criminal activity are barred from voting. According to the Central Election Commission, 11.23 million voters in Russia and 1.9 million voters in the occupied Ukrainian region will be able to vote in the elections that will begin next Friday. There is a provision to get more than 50 percent of the total votes cast to be elected president. Earlier in the presidential election in 2018, the voter turnout was 67.5 percent.

Leonid Sulutsky, Nikolai Kharitonov and Vladislav Davankov are candidates for the presidency along with Putin, according to the Moscow Times. Sulutsky belongs to the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR), Kharitonov to the Communist Party and Davankov to the New People's Party. Putin is an independent candidate. But these three candidates are rivals in name only. They are considered to be candidates who support Putin but are prepared to show off to the outside world. Because, there is no place for political opposition in Russia's Putin regime.

is an example of this, Alexei Navalny. Navalny, a Russian opposition leader and staunch critic of Putin, was mysteriously poisoned in August 2020. After that, Navalny, who returned home after undergoing treatment in Germany, was charged with embezzlement. He was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for breaching the terms of a suspended sentence. Also, in February 2022, a case was filed against him for stealing USD 4.7 million given to a political organization. Convicted in that case, the court ordered Navalny to serve 9 years in a penal colony. But last August, his prison sentence was increased to 19 years.

Navalny was moved to the Arctic Penal Colony in Siberia, one of Russia's harshest prisons, just last December. Navalny, who has been in prison since 2021, died mysteriously inside the prison on February 16 at the age of 47. Navalny's supporters say the charges are false and politically motivated. Critics say that Putin can go to any extent to control activities that are strongly opposed to his regime and that are perceived as a threat to power.

A weakly contested election is sure to hand Putin legitimate Russian power until 2030. Various polls have shown that Putin will be elected with about 80 percent of the popular vote. But for Western countries including the US, the continuation of Putin as the Russian president is like eating or drinking. Analysts say that Putin will be more aggressive and ruthless, especially for countries belonging to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Western countries, including the United States, estimated that the Russian economy would suffer due to the war against Ukraine and that it would have a direct impact on Putin. But the impact of the war has been different than expected. Western countries are worried that Russia will get closer to China if the war continues. Because of this, they are seen in favor of ending the Russia-Ukraine war. But Putin wants to end the war only in his favor.

Since two and a half decades, due to Putin, the individualist authoritarian rule is spreading to other countries/communities of the world. Such rulers have taken control of democracy itself. The leader of the Banglass of Turkey is not only hilarious, the Sheikh's Supper, Bangladesh Narenda Modi, which they have enjoyed privately according to the headquake of people. In a sense they have learned from Putinraj. & Nbsp; After the dissolution of the

Soviet Union, politicians and economies of economy made the Russia as an influential country in Russia. At the same time, there was no apparent claim to challenge the US. But Putin has not raised Russia on his leadership, but also as a major challenge for the country of America and his support.

& Nbsp; (with the assistance of agency)