The presidential elections of 2000 are approaching. Yevgeny Primakov and Yuri Luzhkov created the Fatherland-All Russia association, which dominates the political system of Russia. The Russian elite believes that the Kremlin has already lost the upcoming elections. However, the new prime minister, Vladimir Putin, is rapidly gaining popularity. People like his energy and determination. On December 31, 1999, President Yeltsin made an unexpected decision and resigned early.