Monthly Archives: November 2007

As I’m write, the last day of electioneering is closing in Moscow. Now we wait for Sunday to see the results of what some Western media outlets are speculating might be “Russia’s last,” “the least democratic election since the USSR collapsed,” and a symbol of Russia’s return to “a Byzantine form of state-society relations” where the national leader is transformed into a “semi-divine figure.” “Democracy” in Russia, says the Guardian, is about to depart. If it is departing, then what will it leave behind? Yes, United Russia’s recent media blitz has boosted Putin’s approval ratings as high as 80 percent, all but ensuring that it will sweep the elections with overwhelming force. Come Monday, can we expect Putin to make a statement similar to “I earned capital in the campaign, political capital, and now I intend to spend it. It is my style. That’s what happened ..read more

Gorbachev endorsed Putin in an interview with the London Times.  “I would vote for him and I support him. Based on what I know, and comparing him with other candidates, I would prefer Putin.”  Gorby then added this:

“Putin has brought stabilization to Russia. Not everyone would have been able to cope with the kind of legacy that he inherited from Boris Yeltsin. I did not think he would succeed but he did succeed in preventing total collapse in the country. He began solving some important social and economic problems and re-established governance in Russia. That has opened the way to the possibility of launching real modernization.”

 His “the possibility launching real modernization” is what intrigues me.   It makes me wonder where Putin ranks in the pantheon of Russian modernizers.

“Today we are successful in politics, economics, the arts, sciences, sports. We have reasons for pride. We enjoy respect and difference. We are citizens of a great country and we have great victories ahead. Putin’s plan is a victory for Russia.”

“Why are we certain in the stable development of Russia? Because Russia today has a growing economy and new technologies. Russia’s high global standing and order at home, priority national projects and an up to date military-industrial complex, are because today our leader is bringing us new victories. We are working for one common cause. United Russia. We believe in Russia, we believe in ourselves!”

Such is the text of the two United Russia campaign commercials above. They are slick, exciting, and most importantly positive and optimistic. No political opponent is mentioned. There are no campaign smears. Nor is ..read more

The number of Russians requesting absentee ballots has increased fourfold in the last four years, reports Lenta.ru.  The Interregional Union of Voters, a Russian outfit that seeks to protect voting rights, says that as of 24 November 99,711 people have requested absentee ballots, up from 26,026 in 2003.  This should be good news for United Russia. Because as one unnamed teacher from St. Petersburg told the Associated Press, her school instructed the staff to get absentee ballots and go and submit their ballots together.  “They didn’t tell us necessarily to vote for United Russia, but you can read between the lines,” she said.  The teacher’s story is apparently one of many accounts of employers instructing their employees when, where, and in some cases who to vote for.  It seems like United Russia has learned the imaginative things one can do with absentee ballots.  Especially if you consider whether they followed ..read more

Kommersant has published more about the incident involving SPS candidate Nukha Nukhov in Dagestan. Here are some additional details from the story. As a result of the fight between Nukhov and Mohammed Aliev on 11 March, 1700 SPS votes were annulled from the election without a quorum of regional election officials but by United Russia fiat.

Fast forward to now. Four of Aliev’s brothers–Bahamed, Nabrihulla, Ali, and Mukhtar–are all standing trial for the deaths of two of Nukhov’s comrades. Mohammed Aliev was not included in the indictment. The trial of the four is what prompted Nukhov to come out of hiding and return to Dagestan. But, unfortunately for him, he was arrested on his way. According to a representative from SPS, Nukhov was arrested in a search which was prompted by a complaint by one of Aliev’s security guards. The latter claims ..read more

T-minus five days and counting. Here’s today’s roundup. The Christian Science Monitor, which I heard was once known for its objectivity, has apparently dumped it. In an editorial titled “Putin’s Potemkin Election,” CSM states that the Duma elections signal the end of Russia’s multi-party system. “In reality Russia is becoming a one-party state. One need only examine the coming parliamentary elections to see how this tragedy is happening.” Only two parties will remain in the Duma–United Russia and the Communists. Changes to the electoral law has made it “harder to run for elections.” In 2004, the law was changed to say that a political party must have a membership of 50,000 (up from 10,000) to register and 200,000 signatures to be on the ballot. This and other changes are what makes the Duma election “Potemkin.”

This is really funny, especially when you consider ..read more