MOSCOW - Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev has called on his supporters to stick with him despite his decision not to seek re-election next year.
Medvedev announced last month that he was moving aside to allow Vladimir Putin to return to the presidency and would take over Putin's post as prime minister.
Even though Putin had remained the more powerful leader in the nominally No. 2 post, Medvedev's presidency had given a sense of hope to those who oppose Putin's authoritarian tendencies.
Medvedev insisted that Russia would gradually develop its own brand of democracy.
His televised meeting Saturday appeared aimed at attracting votes for the pro-Kremlin party in December's
