'Russian President must belong to the upper class' 0
Billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov signs autographs for supporters at a rally in Moscow.
While Prokhorov’s supporters diligently traveled to all Russian provinces to collect two million signatures to qualify him to run for election according to regulations, the metallurgical billionaire, who is also the club’s owner,
After celebrating New Year’s Eve in Moscow, Prokhorov’s aides said he needed to organize his ideas to plan a tough election campaign that will take place on March 4.
“What kind of background should the next president of Russia have?
`The president of Russia must come from the upper class,` the billionaire concluded.
Prokhorov said he was completely serious about running for office.
In the election taking place this Sunday, Prokhorov will be the only new face among the candidates, who have run and failed continuously up to now.
Since launching his election campaign in January, Prokhorov has traveled to Russia’s inland regions.
In a televised debate with Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov last month, Prokhorov sarcastically suggested that a lawmaker from the party wanted to sit a little closer because visibility was limited.
In response to his opponents targeting him for being single, Prokhorov asserted that he loves women, even though he is not married.
“How can I be president without a first lady?”
Mr. Prokhorov visited a farm outside Moscow.
During the race campaign, Prokhorov called for further opening up of Russian politics, fighting corruption and reducing dependence on oil.
It wasn’t until last year that Prokhorov expressed his political concerns when he took on the role of `helmsman` of a pro-business party.
Prokorov explained that he was able to collect the necessary millions of signatures while still being able to take time off for vacation because he had experienced associates in different regions.
In a country where the average salary is around $700 a month, Prokhorov is the embodiment of what angers millions of Russians – a plucky young oligarch who rose to prominence through shady privatizations.
Prokhorov is famous for spending lavishly on lavish parties, buying a basketball team far away from Russia, or the fact that he was arrested on prostitution charges in France in 2007, but later confessed.
In an interview, Prokhorov said that all the public notoriety was the price he had to pay for showing his acumen during the chaotic period of Russian society after the former Soviet system.
“I consider myself a controversial and complex figure,” Prokhorov said.
Prokhorov did not criticize Putin much during his election campaign.
Russian presidential election process
Nomination: Candidates belonging to parties that have won a number of seats in the parliament are automatically included in the nomination list.
March 4: The first round of voting takes place.
Knockout: Held within 21 days after the first round of elections, with a competition between the two candidates with the most votes
Cao Thu (according to WSJ)
