Politics and Corruption in Russia
I read an article by Victor Yasmann on the RFE/RL web site about a corruption scandal in Russia that I thought might be a follow-up to the Chinese and Nigerian examples of the politics of anti-corruption examples.However, Yasmann was so obsessive about naming names and outlining details, and so reluctant to offer context that it was difficult to follow the story he was trying to tell. That made the article less useful than it might be.
I quote his first and final paragraphs below as an introduction to a two-week old article from Kommersant, "Russia's Daily Online." There is more context and a better outline of the politics in that article. It could serve as another example to use while asking about the relationships between politics and anti-corruption campaigns.
First from Yasmann's article:
Russia: Corruption Scandal Could Shake Kremlin
"A major corruption scandal has unfolded almost out of sight of the public eye -- one that threatens to disrupt the superficially buoyant facade of the administration of President Vladimir Putin...
"At least two conclusions can be drawn from the recent purging of the security agencies in connection with [this] case.
"First, serious infighting is under way within the siloviki, who are the main pillars and guarantors of Putin's power. The infighting does not pit agency against agency, but has instead created deep internal rifts in almost every security body. Until now Putin has tried to restore the balance of power within the security community and purge it of its most corrupt elements. That is a risky business, putting Putin between two conflicting groups of siloviki.
"Second, it also shows once again the depths corruption has infested Russia's judiciary and law-enforcement bodies -- the very bodies that are tasked with protecting society often end up posing more of a threat."
The Kommersant article by Elena Kiseleva, Nikolay Sergeev, and Mikhail Fishman offers more details about the politics of the case. I took special note of the final paragraph.
Mass Dismissals at the FSB
"The Prosecutor General's Office announced yesterday that it had attained the dismissals of 19 high-placed state employees implicated in smuggling cases... Kommersant has received information that the round of firings is related to a report delivered to Russian President Vladimir Putin by chairman of the State Committee for Narcotics Control Viktor Cherkesov about two weeks ago.
"It was clear from the prosecutor's statement yesterday that high-placed FSB managers... were temporarily suspended
"Most of those from the FSB named in the report had headed the internal security department there...
"Kremlin sources say that the purge may be aimed at unseating [FSB head, Nikolay] Patrushev. Cherkesov, the author of the report, is seen as a potential successor to the head of the FSB...
"The... case was initiated in 2000 and took on political overtones early in 2002 as the last of the security personnel who had remained from First President of Russia Boris Yeltsin's time were being displaced by new blood brought in from St. Petersburg by Putin. That process was completed in the course of the YUKOS case."
I've added a new article on the "anti-corruption" case in China to yesterday's entry. I've added it as a comment which you can access by clicking on the coment link at the bottom of yesterday's excerpts.
posted by Ken Wedding @ 11:32 AM
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