VZCZCXRO4042
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #0568 0640343
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 040343Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2224
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUYNAAC/COMNAVFORJAPAN YOKOSUKA JA PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RHHMHBA/COMPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI//N541// PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/HQ PACAF HICKAM AFB HI//CC/PA// PRIORITY
RUHBANB/OKINAWA FLD OFC US FORCES JAPAN CP BUTLER JA PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/USFJ PRIORITY
INFO RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 6453
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 8847
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 4996
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 7058
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 0121
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2017
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 2151
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 8077
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 8659
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
UNCLAS TOKYO 000568
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR I/RF, PA/PR/FPC/W, IIP/G/EA, EAP/PD, R/MR,
EAP/J, EAP/P, PM;
USTR FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE;
TREASURY FOR OASIA/IMI;
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA;
CP BUTLER OKINAWA FOR AREA FIELD OFFICE;
PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO JA
SUBJECT: TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - RUSSIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
1. LEAD STORIES: Top stories on Tuesday morning included a
nationwide telephone poll that put support for the Fukuda cabinet at
32 percent and nonsupport at 50 percent.
2. "Putin Laughs in Triumph Again" The liberal Mainichi
editorialized (3/4): "...Under a dual leadership structure with
President Medvedev, it appears clear that Putin will continue to
lead the Russian government.... We are gravely concerned about the
lack of transparency in Russia's presidential election on Sunday.
Russia's closed nature stands in contrast with the ongoing
presidential primaries in the U.S. Putin strengthened his political
base through the landslide of the ruling party United Russia. Putin
seems to be laughing in triumph over the results. However, elections
in which victory is preordained bring to mind the dictatorships in
the Middle East and elsewhere. Although the Russian people's hope
for Putin's policy of restoring the nation to 'great power' status
is understandable, Russia should not turn back to the days of the
Soviet Union."
SCHIEFFER