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Articles: Tsar Putin
The "democratic" rise to power of the former KGB officer Putin began in 1999 with a KGB coup. On December 31, the first freely elected Russian president, Boris Yeltsin, stunned the world by announcing his resignation. "I understand that I must do it and Russia must enter the new millennium with new politicians, with new faces, with new intelligent, strong, energetic people,"[2] Yeltsin solemnly stated. He then signed a decree transferring his power to the former head of Russia's political police, Vladimir Putin. For his part, the newly appointed president signed a decree pardoning Yeltsin -- who was allegedly connected to massive bribery scandals -- "for any possible misdeeds" and granting him "total immunity" from being prosecuted (or even searched and questioned) for "any and all" actions committed while in office. Quid pro quo.