Vladimir Putin desperately clinging to life of unrivalled luxury, critics claim
Vladimir Putin has created a life of unrivalled luxury for himself and his inner circle. No wonder he is clinging to power, say two critics
To hear Vladimir Putin tell it, he works like a "galley slave", pouring blood, sweat and tears into toiling for the Russian people with little personal gain in return.
Yet according to a new report by some of his harshest critics, Putin may be the richest "slave" in the world, reaping official perks as the powerful leader of a country with a long history of enriching its omnipotent tsars.
Watches in white gold, yachts decked out in the plushest of drapery and at least one flying toilet worth US$75,000 are among the presidential perks detailed by Boris Nemtsov, a former deputy prime minister turned Putin critic, and his co-author Leonid Martynyuk, a member of the opposition Solidarity movement, in a report released on Tuesday.
"Putin has led Russia for more than 12 years," the authors write. "Losing popularity, Putin is maniacally clinging to power. It's clear why."
It's not just the "fear of losing his freedom, capital and property" or the influence of his inner circle, who have grown fantastically rich under his rule, they say. "One of the most serious reasons … is the atmosphere of wealth and luxury to which he has become accustomed and which he does not want to give up."
According to the authors, Putin has overseen a phenomenal expansion in the awarding of presidential perks - 20 palaces and villas, a fleet of 58 aircraft, a flotilla of yachts worth 3 billion roubles (HK$730 million), a watch collection worth 22 million roubles and top-class Mercedes.
The report, ironically titled The Life of a Galley Slave, is the latest salvo in the opposition's attempt to discredit Putin as they continue to challenge the legitimacy of his return to the presidency this year.