TEMPO.CO, Moscow - Russian President Vladimir Putin has been elected as the world's most powerful person by Forbes Magazine, with Obama sitting at second. It was the first time in three years that the United States President has dropped to second place on the magazine's list.

Putin, who has enjoyed 13 years of dominant rule over Russia, has again been elected president in March 2012. He rose into famed after having outfoxed Barack Obama on Syria. Obama, on the other hand, emerged from an embarrassing 16-day federal shutdown caused by a budget and debt crisis in Washington.

"Putin has solidified his control over Russia," wrote Forbes. Putin's popularity was greatly endorsed by the granting asylum to former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden, wanted in the United States over a huge intelligence leak. A month later, Putin flashed his trump card by averting Obama's threatened missile strikes on Syria with a plan for Damascus to hand over chemical weapons.

"Anyone watching this year's chess match over Syria and NSA leaks has a clear idea of the shifting individual power dynamics," Forbes wrote. The 2013 list of 72 powerbrokers was chosen to reflect one for every 100 million people on Earth.

Third prize went to Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is expected to rule for a decade in which China is set to eclipse US as the world’s largest economy. Pope Francis made his debut at number four and German Chancellor Angela Merkel rounded out the top five.

AL ARABIYA | CHOIRUL