MOSCOW, April 12 (Reuters) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said he will soon decide whether to seek re-election in March 2012 and portrayed himself as the agent of change for the country.
His comments were the latest in a series of assertive remarks suggesting that Medvedev, long seen as little more than a placeholder for his predecessor Vladimir Putin, wants to stay on as president for a new six-year term.
"It is high time for changes," Medvedev said in an interview with China’s CCTV before a visit to China for a meeting of the BRICS group of emerging market nations.
"He who does not change remains in the past."
Medvedev and Putin have both said they will decide together on a candidate for the March 2012 presidential election but many analysts say Putin will ultimately make the decision himself.
Russia’s ruling elite is putting pressure on both Medvedev and Putin to end the uncertainty although some insiders are saying that there is no decision yet and it will likely be made after the parliamentary election in December.
Medvedev indicated that an announcement can come earlier. "I do not rule out that I will run for a new term as president.
A decision will be made, moreover, in the fairly near future because there is less than a year remaining," Medvedev said.
STATE CAPITALISM
He also emphasized that his power was supreme to that of Putin, who is widely seen as the country’s paramount leader, while Medvedev is often referred to as his junior partner.
"We have different posts, different roles: I am the President of Russia, the guarantor of the Constitution, the head of the state," he said.
"President forms the government, manages a lot of processes in the country."
Medvedev said Russia’s $1.5 trillion economy needs to drift away from Putin’s economic model if it wants to change.
"What was good 10 years ago isn’t good today," he said.
"At some point we had to strengthen the foundations of our state and gather the parts of the destroyed economy together, but we are not going to build state capitalism, this is not our choice."
Last month Medvedev ordered the removal of ministers from the boards of directors of state firms, including the powerful oil tsar, Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin, a Putin ally, in a move to improve the country’s poor investment climate
"State representatives in the boards of directors of the state companies should move aside, they have done their mission," he said.
"Independent directors need to step in, while the ministers should concentrate on their tasks…and not wear out the seats of their pants in the boards."
Sechin stepped down as Chairman of the board of oil major Rosneft <ROSN.MM> on Monday.
If successful, Medvedev’s reform could also increase profits for shareholders by helping cut costs at many of the sprawling state-controlled companies which provide over 15 percent of Russia’s gross domestic product.
Medvedev took office promising continuity in the popular Putin’s policies but pledging to tackle corruption, reform the police and courts, improve the rule of law and strengthen civil society.
He has made modernising Russia’s economy and curbing its reliance on energy revenues a major goal.
Nearly three years into his four-year term, Russians have heard much tough talk but seen few tangible results, raising questions about his ability to make an impact and emerge from Putin’s shadow.
