Putin, Medvedev go fishing in show of unity
Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin have put on a new show of unity by going fishing and diving amid the excruciating uncertainty over who will run in the elections. The country's two most powerful men -- both potential candidates in the March presidential elections -- made a holiday trip to the southern Astrakhan region fishing and power boating on the Volga River on Tuesday, the Kremlin said. The two "got to know the habitat of the river and took a few photographs using special photo equipment," Kremlin said. National television said Wednesday that Putin managed to catch a small perch, while Medvedev got a pike. The two men also donned wetsuits to go diving and went boating, with television footage showing the two leaders each steering a small power boat in what appeared to be a friendly competition. Contacted by AFP, Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he was not aware who finished first because he was not present during the two men's private get- together. The carefully choreographed footage of the two leaders both grinning broadly appeared aimed at removing suggestions of a brewing political rivalry. The ruling duo's latest photo-op comes after Putin stole the show last week as he pulled two ancient urns while scuba diving at an ancient Greek Black Sea site. The Russian media had a field day with Putin's latest stunt, quipping that the all-powerful prime minister put Russian archeologists, who spend years to make such discoveries, to shame. With just seven months left before the March elections, neither Medvedev, 45, nor Putin, 58, have announced their candidacy amid warnings from businesses that the uncertainty was hurting the investment climate. In the absence of a firm announcement the two men's antics are increasingly raising eyebrows and even Kremlin-friendly commentators say the ruling duo's indecision is becoming dangerous. "Up to this day, in August 2011, the country does not have an answer to a simple question about its nearest future," said analyst Gleb Pavlovsky. He said he believed the announcement on who will run in the polls should be expected no later than September, even if some may want to delay the decision until December when Russians are set to elect a new parliament. Former spy Putin finished his two terms as president in 2008 and named Medvedev as his hand-picked successor while retaining a dominant role in Russian politics that soon saw him become prime minister. Analysts immediately suggested that Medvedev -- a lawyer by training and Putin's former chief of staff -- was just a placeholder for Putin who would not run for a second term. Medvedev has admitted to liking his job and recently noted that every president would like to run for a second term. Most observers agree that the final decision of which of the two will run next year rests with Putin.
