A Russian 'Election'

Two days after he was plucked from obscurity, a crony of Vladimir Putin is elected prime minister.

VLADIMIR PUTIN'S Russian "democracy" put on a remarkable show this week. On Wednesday, Mr. Putin accepted the abrupt resignation of the prime minister and announced the nomination of an obscure bureaucrat and personal pal, Viktor Zubkov, whom most Russians had never heard of. Yesterday, the parliament duly voted Mr. Zubkov into office by a count of 381 to 47 after a discussion of less than two hours. As an Associated Press reporter described it, "Lawmakers praised Zubkov, posed easy questions and gladly accepted his responses in rote exchanges" reminiscent "of Soviet-era Communist Party meetings."

Outside the chamber, Russian and Western Kremlinologists feverishly debated the meaning of the event, which comes six months before Mr. Putin's term-limited mandate as president expires. Was Mr. Putin preparing to install Mr. Zubkov as a puppet successor? Ensuring continuity in government while he decides on another nominee? Laying the groundwork to remain in power himself? All agreed that only the great ruler himself knew the answer to their questions.

Which, of course, is precisely the point: Mr. Putin's exercise demonstrated that he is free to impose any diktat on Russians, at any time of his choosing, unconstrained by a genuine opposition, free media or civil society. If he likes, he can hand over the presidency to one of the relatively seasoned politicians in his government -- deputy prime ministers Sergei Ivanov or Dmitri Medvedev. Or he can pick someone like Mr. Zubkov, who has been one of his cronies since his days in the St. Petersburg municipal government 15 years ago. State-controlled television and the re-empowered state security agencies will ensure that, competent or corrupt, charismatic or colorless, Mr. Putin's choice is "elected" next March.

Mr. Putin made his move a day after Russian media triumphantly reported what they said was the country's testing of the most powerful nonnuclear bomb in history. Last month the president proudly announced that Russian long-range bombers had resumed continuous patrols for the first time since the end of the Cold War. Mr. Putin once said the collapse of the Soviet Union was "the greatest geopolitical catastrophe" of the 20th century. Step by step, he is bringing back the politics and the priorities of that state.