Nezavisimaya Gazeta speculated on Wednesday that reconstruction work in the prime ministerial premises in the country's main government building, including the construction of a keep-fit center, is proof that outgoing Russian president Vladimir Putin intends to remain the country's premier after he steps down as president in May "for a long time."
Putin is set to take up the position of premier after president-elect Dmitry Medvedev is inaugurated on May 7. The Kremlin-backed Medvedev won Russia's March 2 presidential elections with over 70% of the vote. Putin had earlier agreed to be premier if Medvedev was elected president.
The decision to offer Putin the position of premier was initially seen as a campaign move designed to back Medvedev. Others speculated that Putin, barred from running for a third term by the Constitution, could use the post of premier as a 'temporary' position before running for president again in 2012.
However, the Nezavisimaya Gazeta article, on what was admittedly a quiet day for news, suggested that the building of the gym could have a wider political meaning.
"Vladimir Putin will be able to keep in shape without dragging himself away from government business," the article said.
The paper went on to say that the building of the gym would not have "political significance" were it not for the "important" factor that Putin has often spoken of his love for sport and keep-fit.
During his final Kremlin news conference late last year, Putin several times mentioned sport as one of his main interests in life, the paper said.
"Sport, work and popular and classical music have made up my life in the past eight years," Putin said.
However, as political analysts pointed out, when political decisions are taken behind closed doors and the media and the public are often in the dark as to the intentions of their leaders, analyzing in such depth a keep-fit center may not be so odd after all.
