Putin's decision on Monday (but this is an older post) to end the system of direct popular election of Russia's governors, and to have the Russian parliament elected on the basis of slates chosen by national party leaders he mostly controls, is an unambiguous step toward tyranny in Russia. It cannot be justified as part of the war on terrorism. Putin has had these plans ready for months. He is cynically using the horrific terrorist attack in Beslan as his excuse."
Source: Stand Up to Putin (washingtonpost.com)
Further see Vladimir Putin, a dictator gripped by fear in The Age and PUTIN: THE GREAT DICTATOR FROM THE NORTH? or this FANSITE. The BBC asks Why is Putin popular?