Russian Tycoon Announces Run for President

Mikhail Prokhorov

Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov on Monday said that he would run for president in the election next March after a conflict with the Kremlin over his leadership of a small pro-business party. In spite of the unrest caused by accusations of rigged elections on Sunday, which created a surge of discontent in the Russian society, Putin is expected to win the elections in March.

Putin announced his intention to candidate in September, when the Russia United party proposed him to swap jobs with Medvedev. Putin made a formal acknowledgement a few weeks ago, although the tide seems to be against his authoritarian rule.

Prokhorov’s candidacy is not seen as a threat to Putin’s, since many see him as a tool to appease liberal critics who charge that no strong leader or party is allowed to represent the middle class in Russia.

Analysts say Prokhorov stands no chances of winning, even though he accused in September Kremlin of having attempting to remove him from the Right Cause party. Prokhorov is chairman of Polyus Gold, the largest gold producer in Russia, and announced that he was beginning to gather the 2 million signatures needed in order to be enlisted.

Prokhorov fancies himself as a representative of the middle class and promised to set up a party to represent their interests.

Former first deputy prime minister Boris Nemtsov said that Prokhorov’s decision comes at a moment when the people in the country took it to streets over the weekend.