Putin says his powers will go to successor

Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, countering suspicions that he intends to formally retain power beyond the end of his second term, said Thursday that he wanted to hand over the constitutional powers of the presidency to a successor.

Putin made the comment to reporters after a three-hour televised question-and-answer session with citizens, during which he reaffirmed that he would step down next spring.

Putin indicated this month that he might consider becoming prime minister after leaving the presidency. Many observers interpreted the comment as a sign that he fully intended to become prime minister, and they speculated that he would seek a revision of the constitution to transfer some of the presidency’s powers to the prime minister’s post.

But Putin’s statements Thursday amounted to a declaration that he was prepared to grant his successor all the formal powers now in his hands.

“I am against cutting presidential powers,” Putin said. “In my view at least, doing that in the near future would be a mistake.”

In his annual live broadcast, Putin took questions from selected citizens around the country via television, telephone and the Internet. Many of his answers stressed that Russia’s growing economy was raising living standards.

Putin had particularly sharp words for U.S. policy in Iraq. He charged that “one of the [American] goals is to establish control of the country’s oil reserves,” and he implied that Russia must remain militarily strong to avoid a similar fate. He also implied that American-led forces are fighting the people of Iraq.

“You can overthrow a tyrannical regime, like that of Saddam Hussein,” Putin said. “But fighting the people is a hopeless case. Thank God Russia is not Iraq. Russia has enough arms and people to protect itself and its interests, both on its own soil and in other regions of the world.”

Putin said he agreed with President Bush that troops should not withdraw before the Iraqi government can provide for its own security. But to press the Iraqis to reach that goal, he said, a date should be set for full U.S. withdrawal.

Putin consistently enjoys popularity ratings above 70% in polls, but the constitution bans anyone from serving more than two consecutive presidential terms.

Putin has repeatedly said he wants to retain strong influence after leaving the presidency, and other remarks Thursday reinforced his interest in Russia’s political future. He particularly stressed the importance of a properly functioning parliament to guarantee that Russia continues on its present course.

“In 2007 and 2008 we have parliamentary and presidential elections, and there will be a different person in the Kremlin,” Putin said in the live broadcast. “In these conditions it is extremely important to preserve a stable path of development for our state and the continuity of decisions taken in the past few years. . . . It is vital that parliament is effective.”

Putin agreed this month that United Russia, the political party that supports him and dominates parliament, could put his name first on a list of its candidates for the Dec. 2 parliamentary election.

That step was widely seen as a move to lend some of his popularity to the party to ensure that it fully dominates the next parliament. It does not mean that Putin is likely to take a parliamentary seat immediately after the election, because to do so would require him to step down early as president.

Putin could join parliament after leaving the presidency in spring, perhaps replacing someone who resigns. But that would not be a step toward the post of prime minister; that office is not filled by a member of parliament.

Stanislav Belkovsky, president of the National Strategy Institute, a Moscow think tank, said Putin’s comments could indicate that he intends eventually to become the head of United Russia’s parliamentary faction, a position that would carry considerable influence without the heavy responsibility of running the country.

“It’s clear that Putin’s team will retain its power,” said Sergei Markov, a prominent Russian political analyst with ties to the Kremlin. “The people know that although Putin will leave his presidential post, he won’t leave politics, and he’ll be a guarantor that current policies will be continued. As for the nuances, only the elite are worried about such things.”

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david.holley@latimes.com

Times staff writer Sergei L. Loiko contributed to this report.