(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Two politicians close to Russian president Vladimir Putin are favoured by most people to succeed him in next year’s election, according to a poll by the Yury Levada Analytical Center. 34 per cent of respondents would vote for former defence minister Sergei Ivanov in the ballot, down two points since August.

Deputy prime minister Dmitry Medvedev is second with 30 per cent, followed by Communist Party (KPRF) leader Gennady Zyuganov with 15 per cent, Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky with 11 per cent, current prime minister Viktor Zubkov with four per cent, Sergei Glazyev of For a Dignified Life also with four per cent, and any "liberal candidate" with three per cent.

Putin was elected to a second term as president in March 2004 with 71.31 per cent of all cast ballots. In April 2005, Putin ruled out seeking a new mandate, saying, "I will not change the constitution and in line with the constitution, you cannot run for president three times in a row." The next presidential election in Russia is tentatively scheduled for March 2008.

Medvedev has served as deputy prime minister since November 2005, and Ivanov was appointed to the same position—and relieved of his duties as defence minister—in February. Both have been identified as the Kremlin’s main contenders in the election. In a prospective run-off scenario, Ivanov holds an 18-point advantage over Medvedev.

On Sept. 12, Putin dismissed Russian prime minister Mikhail Fradkov—who had served since March 2004—and appointed Zubkov, a former financial police chief and close ally, to supplant him.

On Sept. 21, Ivanov told an audience of investors that Russia’s economy will grow by at least 6.0 per cent in 2008 and until at least 2010, adding, "It is crucial that Russia strengthen its position as a dependable and strong partner."

On Sept. 24, Zyuganov chided Putin’s style, saying, "He has more power today than the pharaoh in Egypt, the czar and the Soviet Union’s general secretary had combined." The KPRF leader also said his party is the only one that offers an alternative in the legislative election scheduled for December, declaring, "Someone in the Kremlin wants us to get only 14 per cent. Look at (A Just Russia). What can it do for the country? The party doesn’t offer even a hint of socialism. There is more socialism in capitalist France than in their program."

Polling Data

If the following candidates participated in the 2008 presidential election, who would you vote for?
(Likely voters)

If Medveded and Ivanov reached a run-off, who would you vote for?

Source: Yury Levada Analytical Center
Methodology: Interviews with 1,600 Russian adults, conducted from Sept. 14 to Sept. 18, 2007. No margin of error was provided.

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