In Russia, a lopsided ballot

Top Democrats in the US may be lining up for the chance to run against President George W. Bush in November, but in Russia, most opposition leaders seem reluctant to challenge incumbent President Vladimir Putin in a vote slated for March 14.

Some observers say nothing is amiss in this picture: It's simply that Mr. Putin's overwhelming approval ratings of about 80 percent have led serious contenders to abandon the field to marginal candidates - although two might surprise observers by putting up a spirited fight. Putin's popularity is based on "the good results of his presidential term," says Sergei Markov, director, Institute for Political Studies, a Kremlin- affiliated think tank. "The economy is on the rise, and this is a stable trend; salaries and pensions are paid on time, and they being are raised regularly. Living standards are improving. The chain of political crises has ended."

Other experts worry, however, that under Putin, Russia's democratic system has been stifled by Kremlin overmanagement and is slipping back into a Soviet-style farce, in which there is an appearance of free voting but no genuine choice. "You can divide the candidates into two groups: The winner, Putin, and then all the rest, who will be like background dancers for Putin," says Alexander Konovalov, director of the independent Institute for Strategic Assessments in Moscow. "Our political life has been replaced a ritual of installing the leader. We don't need any politicians for this; this is a job for stage directors."

Ten candidates, including Putin, have registered for the race. But some who lack the backing of a parliamentary party are liable to be weeded out if they fail to meet a Jan. 28 deadline to submit 2 million signatures required for nomination.

The contenders include a couple of controversial business tycoons who might be seeking a candidate's immunity from prosecution, a clutch of symbolic standard bearers for opposition parties, a few unknowns, and the Speaker of parliament's upper house, Sergei Mironov, who acknowledges that his main goal is to support his friend, Vladimir Putin. "When a leader who is trusted goes into battle, he must not be left alone," Mr. Mironov told journalists.

Two outspoken contenders could add spice to the mix, however. Sergei Glazyev, a left-wing economist who favors taxing the rich and restoring state guidance over the economy, has been a rising political star since his movement, Motherland, won a surprise 10 percent of the vote in December parliamentary elections. Irina Khakamada, a leading liberal who is running without the backing of her party, the Union of Right Forces, is a fierce critic of the Kremlin's authoritarian drift, ambiguous commitment to market reform, and continuing war in Chechnya.

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