Sir — This refers to the editorial, “Four more years” (December 28). Russian President Vladimir Putin is leaving no stone unturned to gain electoral success for his fourth term as the President of the Russian Federation. The debarment of Government critic Alexey Navalny from contesting the 2018 presidential elections puts a question mark on the legitimacy of the upcoming presidential elections.
It was Russia which paved the way for a changed economic and political configurations across the world in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution of 1917. Putin’s manoeuvres to get elected at any cost will definitely alter Russia’s position in the global space. Though it may be agreed that Putin salvaged Russia from the turbulent Yeltsin years, the absence of a healthy Opposition, a basic requirement for a democracy, clearly establishes the authoritarian tendencies uncalled for a person of the stature of Putin.