The
presidential election of March 2004 turned into a vote of confidence
for Putin and his policies, confirming his continued popular
support. He won his second term with an even more resounding victory
than in 2000, gaining 71,31 percent of votes. No other candidate was
able to perturb the unshakable supremacy of the incumbent.
Presidential Election of March 2004
Candidates
Percentage of votes
Vladimir Putin
71.31
Nikolai Kharitonov
13.69
Sergei Glaziev
4.1
Irina Khakamada
3.84
Oleg Malyshkin
2.02
Sergei Mironov
0.75
Against all candidates
3.4
The secret of
Putin’s popularity is that for the first time in many decades the
authorities have narrowed the gap dividing them from the people and
have begun to register and take into account their expectations and
problems. Putin is perceived by members of various sectors of the
population as “theirs,” that is, as someone they can relate to and
understand and who knows about their problems and has the resources
to address them. All this gives him important advantages if he
decides to push through a tough package of major economic reforms.
