He was a clever guy, he really was.

And again, do you think authorities really had to admit Kasyanov to take part in the election after they found 7.5% false bulletins of those gathered by his team? That would be violation of the acting legislature. Why do you believe one side and don’t believe the other when all you have are claims of the sides?

When opposition candidates are systematically excluded from the ballot by those in power, when people are coerced into voting for a particular party – it is NOT democracy.

Regardless of the fact that Putvedev could have won legitimately – they didn’t.

Total number of people with a right to vote: 107222016. Number of valid election bulletins: 73731116. What gives voters turnout of 69%

http://www.izbirkom.ru/izbirkom.html

I did not read your article after that point.

But I came to a couple of obvious questions.

I hope you better check facts in future works.

Sincere yours, Evgeny

I don’t agree with this one:
“The real kicker, and one that many Western pundits can’t understand, is that they [Russians] don’t care.”

No, we do care.

But you, “western bandits” can’t understand that what happened two days ago in Russia was … f&^% REAL democracy.

In the last 60 years this happened just two days ago in Russia. I know – this sounds as paradox (I have mental health certificate – for those concerned).

But it is so.
In 1947 some clever guys suggested “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice”. Was that democratic? Did in democratic way? I don’t think so.
Fifty years later some other clever “democRats” copy-pasted that idea into “new Russian” constitution. Was it democratic? Not at all – but who cares as long as it copy-pasted from “most democratic sample”?

And now people (aka demos) wanted Putin to stay as the leader.
Is it democracy?
Yes it is. In pure form.

Western and local pundits: “But we have a paper that SAYS it is not!”.

Putin: “Ok, you think paper is more important? Take Medvedev. The papers says – he is the President!”

As I told many times here – he is much smarter than many of you think (legal note – I’m not Putin nor his friend nor his admire neither Iсh sprehen deutch)

So what we saw in Russia was 100% democratic and 100% within boundaries of paper.

Putin will continue to rule. And people vote because he will continue. Medvedev himself couldn’t get more than 5%.

PS. All above (as well as below) – just personal opinion.

Registered voters 658,087
Valid ballots 618,759
Not valid ballots 3,087

etc.

At least people at Electoral Committee can count numbers. And I’m sure people at Kommersant do that well as well but … they need a story to sell. They are reporters. But you, Sean? You are – sovetolog, scientists!

OK here is the sentence – 10 years of watching ОРТ (Общественное Российское Телевидение)

You’ll get my sentence shortly!

Zyuganov got 756,936 votes – more than total voters in Mordovia!

Same story in Leningrad.

In Хакасия where Putin was hunting topless he got only 60% (one of the lowest) whilst Zyu – 22% (one of highest).

Abroad
Putvedev – 84%!

Just for the record, nothing personal

It reads:

“Residents of Mordovia and Ingushetia lost a little of their enthusiasm for voting since the Duma elections, when nearly 100 percent of Ingushetians voted and, in some districts of Mordovia, turnout exceeded 100 percent. About 80 percent of Mordovians voted yesterday and, three hours before voting ended in Ingushetia, over 70 percent of votes had come to the polls.”

That’s what I get for writing to quickly and exhausted. Forgive?