Role reversal may not easy for Putin, Medvedev

TOGETHER WE ROCK: Russians are happy that Medvedev is going to continue on the path set by Putin.

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New Delhi: Russia has a new president — one who is making it clear that he will be guided by the old president.

Russia's newly elected President, Dmitry Medvedev said at a rally: "We can maintain the course set out by President Putin.Together we will move forward."

At a rock concert to celebrate the win, Putin said pretty much the same thing.

"The successful course that we conducted together for the last eight years will be continued," he said.

It was a hope which also echoed on Moscow's streets, where Putin is credited with Russia's economic resurgence and remains the country's most popular leader in decades.

Russians say that Medvedev a young president and he is effective. They are happy that Putin's course is going to be continued.

President-elect Dimitry Medvedev won Sunday's elections with a whopping 70 per cent of the votes cast. In an unusual precedent, Putin will now move to the post of Prime Minister.

The question, say analysts, is who will call the shots now? For the past decade Medvedev has taken orders from Putin as his chief of staff, as the head of his election campaign, as Chief of oil agency Gazprom, and as Putin's deputy prime Minister.

The aide and his mentor are now swapping positions, but reversing roles may not be quite as easy.