Putin wins again
If a Shanghai "mafia" ran the state in China under Jiang Zemin, the St. Petersburg "mafia" is tightening its control of over the Russian state. The latest development was reported by the New York Times.Putin Chum Picked as Elections Chief
"The central election committee, dominated by supporters of President Vladimir v. Putin, elected as its chairman a former colleague of Mr. Putin’s from St. Petersburg, Vladimir V. Churov. Mr. Churov, a member of the lower house of Parliament since 2003, worked with Mr. Putin in the St. Petersburg governor’s office in the 1990s. He replaces Aleksandr A. Veshnyakov, whom Mr. Putin ousted this month after he criticized new election laws. Russia is approaching elections for Parliament and president."
posted by Ken Wedding @ 9:39 AM
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It's not just that Putin has organized a takeover of the Russian state, the opposition is disorganized and divided. The Washington Post reported on the sorry state of "the loyal opposition" in Russia.
Infighting Fractures Russian Opposition
"... even as the Kremlin works to marginalize its democratic opponents, however weak, they help the process along with infighting, ego clashes and fear of the Kremlin's ability to expunge what little official status they still enjoy.
"The parties and movements that make up Russia's democratic opposition are numbingly numerous...
"They expend a lot of energy accusing each other of being Kremlin stooges or second-guessing who might join forces with the Kremlin at any given moment...
"Electoral laws pushed through parliament last year by the pro-Kremlin United Russia party have forced more than half of Russia's 35 parties to disband...
"The Kremlin... has positioned two parties -- the dominant United Russia and the newly created Fair Russia... -- as the principal choices for Russian voters. Both parties, while sniping at each other about economic and social policy, pledge absolute loyalty to President Vladimir Putin.
"'It's an imitation democracy with the appearance of competition, but everything is controlled at the center,' said [Vladimir] Ryzhkov, {a 4-term Duma deputy and head of the recently dissolved Republican Party] who has no chance of returning to parliament unless another party takes him in. In December's national election, voters will cast ballots for a party, not individuals. The parties will appoint their legislative deputies...
"With its opponents squabbling among themselves, the Kremlin is reportedly teeing up its own liberal party, called Free Russia. Little known until recently, the party nonetheless sailed through the re-registration process last year..."
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