Domestic

Domestic

Dmitry Medvedev: â€œPutinâ€™s and my candidacy in the presidential elections simultaneously is impossibleâ€

20 June 2011 08:34 (UTC +04:00)

Assessing the possibility of Putinâ€™s and Medvedevâ€™s candidacy in the presidential elections simultaneously, the head of state said that it was impossible: â€œIt is hard for me to imagine this for at least one reason. The thing is, Vladimir Putin (my old friend and colleague) and I, strictly speaking, represent the same political force. Competition between us would bring harm to the goals and tasks we have been working on for the past several years. It would not be good for Russia and it would not be good in this specific situation.â€

Asked about if he will be candidate for the second term in office, Medvedev said:
â€œI will be direct about this. If I do have a second term in office as president as our constitution allows, I will of course do all I can to reach the goals that I have set, which are to modernize our economy, our society and our political system. I am not sure I will succeed but I would really like it to happen. I will work towards those goalsâ€.