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Russia
inaugurates new President
Russian Putin install his chosen successor
after a 70% landslide victory in March 2nd’ election in the
country, marking Moscow's determination to propel further her own
style of democratic moves.
Dmitry Medvedev, who was formally the head of the
presidential administration and First deputy prime minister in the
cabinet succeed President Vladimir Putin, on Tuesday, the 7th
of May, and requested for Putin become his prime minister, as Mr. Putin
is prohibited by Russian constitution for running for a third
consecutive term.
Although Putin is no longer the president, but he
remains a national leader, which he confirmed in his farewell speech
that he remains committed to serving interest of the country all his
lifetime. Medvedev's proposal would guaranteed him the role, because the
parliament which is dominated by Putin’s led United Russia party
proofed their capability to
single handedly confirm his nomination with over 300 votes against 220
as demanded by the law.
In a meeting with the entire Political party
leaders of the country, only the Communist party rejected the
nomination but it had a minority vote in the Russian Duma, which made it impossible to stop
Mr. Putin’s nomination.
Mr. Vladimir Putin presented
to the Parliament his cabinet program before he was endorsed as the
new No.2 man with a winning margin of 392 votes for and 56 against
His confirmation makes Mr. Putin the Prime minister of Russia for a second time, as he had
already occupied the post in 1999 during second tenure tenure of the
first Russian president Boris Yeltsin. With these developments Mr.
Putin has made a record by becoming the first Russian leader to serve
in the highest political post of the country twice elected as the
president and twice appointed as the prime minister.
Venezuelans crushed
Hugo Chavez hope to build another socialist state in Latin America
Venezuelans said no to President Hugo Chavez by crushing his hope
to build another socialist state like Cuba in Latin America. In a
stinging defeat Monday in a vote on constitutional changes that would
have let him run for re-election indefinitely and solidify his bid to
transform this major U.S. oil provider into a socialist state.
Voters defeated the sweeping measures by a vote of 51 percent to 49
percent, said Tibisay Lucena, chief of the National Electoral Council,
with voter turnout just 56 percent.
She said that with 88 percent of the votes counted, the trend was
irreversible.
"This was a photo finish," Chavez said immediately after the vote,
adding that unlike past Venezuelan governments, his respects the
people's
will.
It was the first victory for an emboldened opposition against
Chavez after nine years of electoral defeats.
"Don't feel sad," he urged his supporters, saying there were
"microscopic differences" between the "yes" and "no" options in a
referendum that Chavez's opponents feared could have meant a plunge
toward dictatorship.
Chavez's supporters had faith he would use the reforms to deepen
grass-roots democracy and more equitably spread Venezuela's oil
wealth.
The changes would have created new forms of communal property, let
Chavez handpick local leaders under a redrawn political map, permit
civil liberties to be suspended under extended states of emergency and
allow Chavez to seek re-election indefinitely. Now, Chavez will be
barred from running again in 2012.
Other changes would have shortened the workday from eight hours to
six, created a social security fund for millions of informal laborers
and promoted communal councils where residents decide how to spend
government funds. The reforms also would have granted Chavez control
over the Central Bank and extended presidential terms from six to
seven years.
Chavez had warned opponents ahead of the vote he would not tolerate
attempts to incite violence, and threatened to cut off oil exports to
the U.S. if Washington interfered.
The loss was unfamiliar territory for a leader who easily won
re-election last year with 63 percent of the vote.
All was reported calm during voting but 45 people were detained,
most for committing ballot-related crimes like "destroying electoral
materials," said Gen. Jesus Gonzalez, chief of a military command
overseeing security.
At a polling station in one politically divided Caracas
neighborhood, Chavez supporters shouted "Get out of here!" to
opposition backers who stood nearby aiming to monitor the vote count.
A few dozen Chavistas rode by on motorcycles with bandanas and hats
covering their faces, some throwing firecrackers.
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