...The Russian Federation, composed of 88 federal subjects, is a presidential system with a bicameral parliament. Vladimir Putin, re-elected in March 2004 for a second presidential term, has consolidated power in the Kremlin, at the expense of parliament, political parties and regional administrations. He will leave office on May 2nd, to be replaced by Dmitry Medvedev, a hand-picked successor who won the March 2008 presidential election by an overwhelming margin (the constitution did not permit Mr Putin to stand for a third consecutive term in office). Russia's political system is characterised by a mixture of authoritarian tendencies--the state controls the nationwide mass media, for example--and democratic principles: elections are free, if not always fair, and Russians can speak and travel freely....
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