Affluence or democracy - Russians decide

Like countless Russian cities, Tyumen is dominated by an imperious statue of Lenin and grim Soviet-era buildings. But, rather than praising the latest five-year plan, its public address system now urges locals to buy Jimmy Choo handbags in the new mall around the corner and offers cut-price Caribbean cruises..In a nearby sushi bar, Ms Irina Babintseva leafed through a menu that listed both calories and prices. She was unable to decide whether she should spend her afternoon shopping or visiting her manicurist. In between thoughts, she found the time to reflect on political matters. .She had resolved to vote for Mr Vladimir Putin during the parliamentary vote. "I love him as a man — his behaviour, his appearance. I'm not interested in politics, but my husband tells me that Mr Putin is largely the reason we are so much better off.".The election is theoretically not about Mr Putin. Although he is a candidate for the ruling United Russia party, it is unlikely that he will ever sit in the country's Duma..In reality though, the election is about nothing other than Mr Putin, who has transformed the vote into a referendum on whether he should stay in power — perhaps in perpetuity — beyond his official retirement date set by the Constitution, next spring..Through the vote, Mr Putin is essentially offering the Russian people a deal — to choose prosperity and stability in place of democracy... Today