It appears that Vladimir Putin's biggest challenge in Sunday's election comes not from one of the ten other candidates vying for the Russian Presidency, but rather from voter apathy. The election of the acting President is regarded as such a foregone conclusion that some even fear that not enough Russians will go to the polls (50 percent) to make the election valid. A low turnout could also deny Putin the 50 percent of the vote cast he needs to win outright and avoid a run-off, probably with the Communist candidate, Gennady Zyuganov. Putin appeared recently on television and issued an appeal to the voters, reminding them that the election does indeed matter, as the President is the chief of the armed forces in a country with a nuclear arsenal. A relative unknown when he was named prime minister in August, the former KGB official has won broad support for the campaign in Chechnya. Beyond that, however, he remains an enigma to many, even in the Russian press. His refusal to discuss even basic policy questions leaves many wondering about Russia's future under the imminent Putin presidency. Only after his election, it appears, will Putin reveal where he intends to lead Russia.