Yes, dismissing popular elections and consolidating the power into his own hands will accomplish little. LOL!
Don't worry about it...as you said, you don't care...go back to sleep and the same folks who fought the Soviets will fight their favorite son again for you.
But surely those alone don't make Russia=Soviet Union. Hell, Kuwait matches that description.
Putin, in special session outlined what would be the most sweeping political restructuring and his most striking single step to consolidate power in Russia in more than a decade. Critics immediately said it would violate the constitution and stifle what political opposition remains.
Under Putin's proposals, which he said required only legislative approval and not constitutional amendments, the governors or leaders of the country's 89 regions would no longer be elected by popular vote but rather by local legislatures and only after the president's nomination.
In addition district election of the lower house of the parliment would be suspended and replace with national party slates which he could control.
"The electoral changes require the approval of parliament, but because the party loyal to Putin, United Russia, controls more than two-thirds of the 450 seats, that is almost a foregone conclusion. Mitrokhin said that although Putin's proposals "contradict the letter and the spirit of the constitution," challenges to them would be futile."
Signed, sealed and delivered...Comrade Putin, here's your empire.