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Putin says to continue reforms if elected

Xinhua, March 3, 2012

• Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Friday that he would continue political reforms if elected president again.

  Russian Prime Minister and presidential candidate Vladimir Putin speaks during his meeting with his campaign activists in Moscow on Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012. [CNTV]

  In an interview with several foreign newspapers, Putin, who is a runaway front-runner in the upcoming presidential election, attempted to put a positive spin on massive rallies against him, saying they have been a "good experience for Russia."

  "Our proposals are aimed at conducting dialogues with everybody: those who support us and those who criticize us," he said.

  He promised not to restrict opposition after the elections, but he strongly rejected the opposition's demands for a rerun of parliamentary elections in which Putin's United Russia party won a majority.

  Putin reiterated that if he becomes president, he will offer the post of the prime minister to outgoing President Dmitry Medvedev.

  He vowed to support citizens' anti-corruption initiatives but warned not to use them for political purposes.

  He admitted he has not got a formula so far for the restoration of social justice destroyed during the process of privatization in the 1990s.

  Putin said he has not made any serious mistakes for the 12 years in power -- eight years as president and four years as prime minister.

  He said he has yet to decide if he will run for the presidency for the fourth time in 2018.

   

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