▁president ial ▁elections ▁being ▁held ▁within ▁three ▁months , ▁on ▁ 2 6 ▁March ▁ 2 0 0 0 ; ▁Put in ▁won ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁round ▁with ▁ 5 3 % ▁of ▁the ▁vote . ▁▁ 2 0 0 0 – 2 0 0 4 : ▁First ▁president ial ▁term ▁▁ ▁The ▁inaug uration ▁of ▁President ▁Put in ▁occurred ▁on ▁ 7 ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁Put in ▁appointed ▁the ▁Minister ▁of ▁Fin ance , ▁Mik h ail ▁K asy an ov , ▁as ▁the ▁Prime ▁Minister . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁major ▁challenge ▁to ▁Put in ' s ▁popular ity ▁came ▁in ▁August ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁critic ized ▁for ▁the ▁alleg ed ▁m ish and ling ▁of ▁the ▁Kur sk ▁sub marine ▁dis aster . ▁That ▁criticism ▁was ▁largely ▁because ▁it ▁was ▁several ▁days ▁before ▁Put in ▁returned ▁from ▁vac ation , ▁and ▁several ▁more ▁before ▁he ▁visited ▁the ▁scene . ▁ ▁Between ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁Put in ▁set ▁about ▁the ▁reconst ruction ▁of ▁the ▁imp over ished ▁condition ▁of ▁the ▁country , ▁apparently ▁winning ▁a ▁power - stru gg le ▁with ▁the ▁Russian ▁o lig arch s , ▁reaching ▁a ▁' grand ▁b arg ain ' ▁with ▁them . ▁This ▁b arg ain ▁allowed ▁the ▁o lig arch s ▁to ▁maintain ▁most ▁of ▁their ▁powers , ▁in ▁exchange ▁for ▁their ▁explicit ▁support ▁for — and ▁alignment ▁with — Put in ' s ▁government