Putin tightens grip on regions and MPs
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President Vladimir Putin made constitutional changes yesterday designed to increase his personal control of the regions and parliament, saying the government needed &quot;strengthening&quot; because it had failed at Beslan in its fight against terrorism.
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President Vladimir Putin's plans to shake up Russia's political scene sailed through the State Duma lower house of parliament on Friday, with deputies giving short shrift to U.S. concerns about a roll-back of democracy.
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Russia's parliament on Wednesday gave a first nod to new tougher rules for setting up political parties -- a key element of President Vladimir Putin's reforms, which could dramatically change the political system.
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BusinessWeek Online - How far will Putin go in turning back the clock? There's no doubt he's trying to centralize all political power inside the Kremlin. Hard on the heels of the Beslan massacre, he announced plans to abolish direct elections for governor in Russia's 89 regions, replacing them with direct presidential appointments, ostensibly to strengthen the Kremlin's hand in the fight against terror.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that opposition groups should have more outlets for expressing their views.
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President Vladimir Putin ordered  sweeping changes Monday to Russia's political system to help  combat terrorism, but immediately drew charges he was  exploiting a bloody school siege to boost his personal power.
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MOSCOW Russian President Vladimir Putin is taking steps to further strengthen the central government&#39;s control over the nation&#39;s political life.
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MOSCOW  - President Vladimir Putin sought to convince the nation Thursday that his electoral reform was not a retreat from democracy but was needed to save Russia from international terrorists and to limit the political influence of business barons. Putin said in a nationwide television interview his plan to end direct elections of regional governors and parliament deputies will help strengthen the government, which he said was being eroded by ethnic divisions and turf battles between local clans.
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With regional elections Sunday from St. Petersburg to Siberia, Russians are entering what promises to be a year of ballots choreographed to ensure a smooth succession and enable President Vladimir Putin to keep a hand on the steering wheel even after he steps down.
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President Vladimir Putin says he will fight terror by consolidating security agencies and further tightening political control over the country.
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RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin is considering extending his term of office, due to expire in 2008, in a sign of his determination to tighten his grip on power and crack down on terrorism after the Beslan school massacre.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Thursday for a powerful parliament, his likely future power base, and unchanged policies after he leaves the Kremlin.
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President Vladimir Putin has ordered sweeping changes to Russia&#39;s political system to help combat terrorism, but immediately has drawn charges he is exploiting a bloody school siege to boost his personal power.
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President Vladimir Putin named a new government Monday, tapping new economics and health ministers and retaining his current foreign and defense ministers as part of an expected shuffle before crucial parliamentary and presidential elections.
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The Russian leader today called for new measures that include the naming of regional governors and an overhaul of the electoral system.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin may respond to the recent terrorist attacks, including last week&#39;s Beslan school siege that left at least 333 dead and 260 missing, by overhauling the former Soviet nation&#39;s security forces.
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The proposals would strengthen Vladimir V. Putin's already pervasive control over the legislative branch and regional governments.