Russia to switch from manual to automatic 'mode of rule' in 15-20 years - Putin
RIA-Novosti
Moscow, 18 October: Vladimir Putin thinks that during the implementation of Russia's development strategy under the "Putin plan" over the next 15-20 years the country will be ruled in a "manual mode". Following a "direct line" question and answer session with the Russian public Putin approached journalists who had asked him, in connection with the "Putin plan", when Russia would be able to switch from the so-called manual or mechanical mode of rule to an automatic one.
The Russian president recalled that when the United States was emerging from the Great Depression President Roosevelt designed a plan for the development of the country, which was criticized by its elite.
"In the end however, it turned out that the implementation of the plan benefited all citizens of the country and led the USA to the positions it now occupies in the world economy and politics," said Putin.
"We are not doing anything unique. In overcoming a systemic crisis we are forced to do many things in the so-called manual mode," said the president.
The president said that the country would be able to move away from this regime when "all the elements of market economy have become operational and the necessary conditions of legal nature" have been created.
"When our legal, economic and social foundations have strengthened and become stable we will not need the manual mode of rule," said the president, adding however that "in developed democracies even today a lot depends on the decisions taken by the country's political leadership, on the choices made by the government and the president".
The president added that Russia would be able to switch to such "automatic mode" of rule in 15-20 years' time.
While the use of the term "Putin plan", which members of One Russia use in their election programme, could be described as a piece of political technologies, the content of this concept could be described as a very specific strategy for Russia's development.
"All of this, its separate aspects, could be described as a strategy for a planned development of the country. If however, in the course of the parliamentary election campaign, somebody has decided to personify it and link it to the current president's name, then this can be described as a piece of political technologies," the president said during the "direct line" session. He thinks that the plan is absolutely specific and the country needs it.
"I am sure that if we act consistently in implementing it we will achieve serious results in the development (of the country)," the president said.
He explained that in his addresses to the Federation Assembly over the recent years he had discussed a series of key issues, and these statements could be described as the development strategy.