Putin's Ploy

In an article in the St. Petersburg Times (Russia), there is apparently renewed action on a plan to reunited Russia and Belarus. While there are differing opinions on why it is occurring ("an electorate nostalgic for the Soviet Union"), many observers speculate that it is the solution to Putin's forced retirement in 2008 under the current Russian constitution. The constitution could be a way for Putin to remain in power past 2008, it would seem to work. The leader for which Bush seems so spiritually linked has strong autocrat
tendencies (for example making regions' governor an appointed position from the Kremlin) and seems to be moving towards a union with Belarus with Putin as the head.