Putin and his allies are more concern about losing the election then anything else. The Communist are still the largest opposition party and has been expanding since 2000 (In the 1990s all you read about in the west was the decline of the old Russian Communist party, since 2000 and the Communist parties growth, the newspaper writers have just been quiet about them, like ignore then, and they will go away).
The Russian Communist Party of 2011 is NOT the Communist party of Gorbachev and the Collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, it is a more discipline party with a loyal following. Putin has managed to win elections the same way Yelsin did, buying votes (Not in paying people to vote for him, but spending money so people feel that it is in their best interest to keep getting that money by voting to keep Putin in office).
As to the Russian Communist Party, remember the massive shut down of the old Soviet Military Industrial Complex was started by Gorbachev, finished by Yelsin and do to that shut down Russia went into severe withdraws. Putin, a former KGB agent, used his KGB connections to replace Yelsin as the price of oil started to go up. Thus most of the old Soviet Military-Industrial Complex had been destroyed and thus Putin did NOT have to pay that ghost (The Soviet Union in the 1980s was spending almost 40 % of its GNP on the Military, an excessive amount, 10% is generally considered fatal over any length of time). By the Time Putin was in charge, the Russian Army was NOT buying new Equipment, barely buying replacements for existing equipment for the supplies of such equipment had either opt for foreign sales OR gone out of business (Some of the capacity survived, but at a shadow of what was spent in Soviet times, through some of the equipment fielded was as good as latest military toys from the West). The Soviet Military-Industrial Complex was a huge drain on the Soviet Economy and with it gone, Putin could spend money with worrying that the Military-Industrial Complex would such up any money for anything else.
Starting in 2000, Russia benefits from two things, first Russia increased oil production (Oil production peaked in 1986, then fell to 2000, when production went up and reached a new peak in 2008, now it is falling again, but not at the rate it fell in the 1990s).
Second, the price of oil bottomed out in 1997 (while Yelsin was President of Russia, this drop in price was tied in with the drop in production) but then started to climb till it peaked in 2008. Putin reaped a whirl wind of gratitude for this, for it permitted him to honor all the old Soviet Pensions (Thus keeping the Senior Citizens happy) and able to expand things for the rest of Russia in the from of new technology (Siberia is the new Hot Spot for the latest Computer "boom", and I mean "Boom" as in something real NOT like "Facebook" which is more image then substance). Putin even was able to upgrade some of the Military (But the Russian Army long term plan to replace the AK-74 with the An-94 never did happen do to lack of funds, showing that Putin prefers to spend the oil money other then in the Military).
More on the AN-94:
http://www.enemyforces.net/firearms/abakan.htmMy point is Putin is in a tight squeeze, he does NOT want to expand his Military, for that would force him to stop spending elsewhere. He is presently has more money coming in do to the increase price in the price of oil, but he has also seen Russia suffer from high summer temperatures last Summer (Which affect the price of food within Russia). Putin can use the extra money from his sale of oil, to fulfill much of what he wants done, thus making sure the voters vote for him not the Communists. Most people who own cars, bought them in the last 20 years and are connected and benefited with the Conversion from Communism, thus are the least likely to vote Communist UNLESS they think all is lost and the Communist are the only ones who can solve the problem. To keep these car owners happy, Putin wants to keep the price of gasoline low. Most of these Car Owners get the Internet and thus know how much the world price of oil is going up, and thus will be grateful to Putin for the lower prices and will award him with their votes. Putin fears that if the price of gasoline gets to high and Car Owners have to park their cars, they will opt for the Communists, for not having a car was the norm under the Communists, and a parked car is Worse then not having one (the car still has to be paid for and maintained). Thus Putin Fears Car drivers who have to park their cars do to high gasoline prices will vote for the Communists, how much worse can they be? And given the Communists are NOT planning to do anything radical, except switch how the oil money is spent, voting Communist may not be a bad choice for most voters.
Yes, in the west you hear of the other political opposition, but it is the Communist who are the real opposition and the one Putin fears.
Please note I know Putin is NOT the President of Russia, but he is the leader of the party that elected Putin and his Successor and thus why I use Putin instead of any other name.
One last comment, remember domestic politics is more important then what is going on overseas, but the Russian people do believe Russia has a place in the world and want their leaders do show Russia has a place, thus Putin's Comment may be more for Russian Domestic consumption then foreign consumption. i.e. Putin is worried someone will run on a "Save Libya" ticket and get votes from voters who believe Putin should have done something about Libya. Russia has cut off all supplies to Libya, Russia has NOT send any warships to Libya to "Observe" what the US and NATO is doing. Russia did NOT veto the UN Resolution, through it permitted bombing. All of those show Russia cares less about Libya, Putin statements seems more for Russian Domestic consumption then any real concern about Libya, and given Russia has an election this year, that explains why the comment was made.
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