MOSCOW, February 9. / ITAR-TASS /. Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev said that Vladimir Putin if he is elected president inevitably would need to change the political system. Otherwise, the country will go through tough tests.
"The situation is such that everything depends on the system - said Gorbachev addressing the students of the International University in Moscow. - And if he / Putin / comes and he is elected, and will decide on this matter, we must support him."
Ex-Soviet president believes that objectively speaking Putin has the best chance of being elected president. "The situation is such that most likely Putin will win" - he said.
Gorbachev recalled that the other candidates are also quite experienced." Zhirinovsky - "a wise man, but with a twist," candidates from "Just Russia" and the Communist Party may, in his opinion, get more votes than in the previous presidential elections, but still will not lead. Gorbachev is bewildered by the refusal to register "Yabloko's" candidate Grigory Yavlinsky, and as a result" the only one who can compete is "just a businessman Mikhail Prokhorov". However, the black PR campaign is already being prepared against him.
Nevertheless, Gorbachev summed up that "the process should be run, the election must be conducted" and the future president will have to take into account the opinion of the opposition."I think he / Putin / is an intelligent person. I think he understands the mood of the population. If he starts /changing the system/, he will quickly resolve the issue. But it has to discuss ways in which he will carry out these changes" - said Former Soviet leader.
The first step in his opinion, should be the dissolution of the State Duma. "For every time comes the moment when one must chose. Now we have to pull the country out of the impasse. You need to implement systemic changes, and for this it is necessary for the Duma to be capable of this," - says Gorbachev.
He admitted that he is very interested in the processes that are taking place in society. "The awakening of the society has been taking place during these months."
"We need to combine all forces to implement democratic changes, but should not sell ourselves."
Additionally the former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev noted that he has no plans in participating in the "League of the voters," and especially in leading this group. "I do not have such ambitions, have never participated and will not participate," - he told ITAR-TASS.
Gorbachev spoke today with the students and faculty of the International University in Moscow, where he was asked whether he supports this initiative. The former Soviet leader responded favorably in general, noting that he knew the organizers of the League. As for direct participation in its activities he said, "there can be no question about it."