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WORLD NEWS A9
Saturday 24 March 2018
Putin thanks nation for re-election, promises "breakthrough"
By V. ISACHENKOV breakthrough" in many
MOSCOW (AP) — President
Vladimir Putin thanked Rus- spheres and move to
sians Friday for his landslide
re-election to another six- encourage economic
year term, pledging to lead
the country to an econom- growth, raise living stan-
ic "breakthrough."
Putin's live televised state- dards, modernize health
ment came shortly after
the Central Election Com- care and education, re-
mission officially declared
him the winner of Sunday's vive the infrastructure and
election with nearly 77 per-
cent of the vote, putting solve environmental and
him on track to become
the nation's longest-serving other problems. He stressed
leader since Josef Stalin.
"Such a powerful civic ac- that Russia needs to make
tivity, your responsibility and
consolidation are extreme- a "technological leap" to
ly important now when we
face serious domestic and meet those challenges.
external challenges," Putin
said. Putin also emphasized
The massive victory — Pu-
tin's best-ever electoral the need for alliances to
showing — will strengthen
the president's hand as achieve the ambitious
he ponders his choices for
shaping Russia's political fu- goals, saying that "political
ture beyond 2024: groom
a dependable successor, affiliations mustn't divide
us." "Our unity, responsibil-
ity, a common vision of
our goals and aspirations
by millions of people must
drive Russia forward," he
said. "I'm sure that together
we will succeed."
Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, poses for a photo with Russian Paralympics Athletes who Putin has never faced a se-
competed in the 2018 Pyeonchang Winter Paralympics, in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Tues-
day, March 20, 2018. rious threat to his rule since
(Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) he came to power on the
eve of the new millennium.
He won 53 percent of the
scrap term limits or create Putin vowed to fulfill his sible to promise to do it in- vote in the 2000 presiden-
a new position of power to campaign promises, but stantly."
keep ruling the country af- warned Russians that "it He said that the coun- tial election, 71 percent
ter his fourth term ends. would be utterly irrespon- try needs to make a "real
in 2004 and 63 percent in
2012.q
Spain charges 13 Catalan separatist leaders with rebellion
By ARITZ PARRA politicians who answered regional president Carles strict the crimes with which The indictment Friday ap-
BARRY HATTON a court summons Friday to Puigdemont and Rovira. he could be charged. peared to scotch hopes
Associated Press be held without bail. An- Two other Catalan politi- The jailings Friday are likely of breaking the political
MADRID (AP) — A Span- other of the summoned cians are already in jail. to cause outrage in Catalo- deadlock and installing a
ish Supreme Court judge politicians, the ERC party's The charges of rebellion nia, where many supporters new Catalan government
charged 13 Catalan sepa- Marta Rovira, did not heed stem from an illegal inde- describe the Catalan offi- any time soon.
ratist politicians with rebel- the order and announced pendence declaration by cials in custody as "political Pro-independence politi-
lion Friday for their attempts in a letter that she was the Catalan parliament last prisoners." The pro-indepen- cal parties and civic groups
to make the region inde- fleeing the country to live October. Rebellion is pun- dence civil society group in Catalonia have defied
pendent of Spain, dealing "in exile." Spanish media ishable with up to 30 years ANC called for marches the Spanish government for
a heavy blow to the seces- reported that she went to in prison. late Friday in towns across the past six months with ef-
sionist movement with an Switzerland. Spanish courts sought Puig- the region.The separatist forts to secede from Spain
indictment that could put The judge also ordered demont's extradition from movement in Catalonia, a and create a new repub-
its political elite behind bars that European and interna- Brussels last year but can- wealthy region of 7.5 mil- lic. They have repeatedly
for decades. tional arrest warrants be is- celed that petition amid lion in northeast Spain, has fallen foul of the courts and
Judge Pablo Llarena or- sued for six fugitive Catalan concerns that Belgium ignited Spain's biggest con- the Constitution, however.
dered five of the Catalan politicians, including former might send him back but re- stitutional crisis in decades. q
