Prepare for elections

Another topic on the country's agenda in 2011 is the elections. The Russian government has to make good preparations for both the parliamentary election and the presidential election, slated respectively for late 2011 and 2012, and different parties have also been gearing up.

The ruling United Russia party, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, A Just Russia and the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia have been keeping a close eye on regional elections.

In 2010, United Russia won the March and October regional elections by a landslide. Its New Year's resolution is to win the upcoming March local elections and prepare for the year-end parliamentary election.

Also last year, the Putin-led party changed its mechanism of annual national congresses to quarterly meetings in central cities of the federal districts.

Putin has visited four cities and discussed strategic development issues with local authorities in order to gain more support from these regions.

Moreover, local media believed that the recent appointment of Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin was another clever move. The ruling party chose Sobyanin to govern the capital city with an aim to lay a foundation of social politics for the elections.

Another move of the ruling party -- naming Vyacheslav Volodin to replace Sobyanin as deputy prime minister -- was expected to help better organize election campaigns.

In December, Putin said he did not rule out the possibility of leading United Russia in the parliamentary election. Local media said that in that case, the party may win more supporters.

Serving as a weathervane of current Russian politics, the parliamentary election is likely to be dominated by United Russia no matter whether the party is led by Medvedev or Putin, because both have adopted policies welcomed by Russians, especially the anti-crisis programs.

Besides, who will be the next Russian president is also an eye-catching headline for Russia and the world. Both Medvedev and Putin have said they do not rule out the possibility of participating in the 2012 election, but the two have also reiterated they will "consult" with each other on the topic.

Challenges remain

Although both Medvedev and Putin are popular in Russia, the two are facing several problems in the 2011.

Severely affected by the financial crisis, Russia's economy is still anemic, with some 5 million people unemployed. Corruption and judicial injustice are also rampant.

Moreover, riots of soccer fans have revealed a worrisome division between native Russians and immigrants. The lingering tensions in Chechnya and other regions are also threatening the country's stability.

Some critical parties have also protested the work of the government and asked Putin to step down.

Against such a backdrop, Medvedev and Putin have to try their best to revive the economy, resolve social conflicts and promote social harmony in 2011.