NEWS / RUSSIAN POLITICS IN REVIEW, APRIL 2009       Site map

06.05.2009 Russian Politics in Review March-April, 2009 The following resource is meant to quickly introduce the reader to political issues in Russia with a focus on politics impacts life in Russia and to what extent the political field can be cause diverse or reflective of the population. This news review is part of SRAS's monthly "obzor" publications. For more reviews, see the newsletter for this corresponding month. To receive the free monthly newsletter and obzori by email, simply sign up.   Medvedev Medvedev shows media-savvy side President Dmitry Medvedev presides over a nuclear arsenal and one of the biggest reserves of natural fuel in the world, and he is increasingly media-savvy Medvedev Makes His Move Medvedev, offers perhaps the only realistic hope of turning Russia around, but he can't operate freely while Putin is still effectively in charge. Seemingly aware of this, Medvedev has taken steps to distance himself from his mentor and might be setting the stage to force him out of government. Russia's Medvedev reminds Putin party who's boss Dmitry Medvedev warned the ruling party of powerful Prime Minister Vladimir Putin that its new powers to nominate regional governors should not create the illusion it can overrule the Kremlin. Medvedev 'Imitates' Political Reform to Defend Putin's System Despite a series of much-publicized events that some commentators in Moscow and the West suggest represent significant "breakthroughs" to "liberalization," a Russian commentator argues that Dmitry Medvedev is in fact offering "the imitation of political reform" in order to defend Vladimir Putin's authoritarian system. Russia's Medvedev sacks military spy chief President Dmitry Medvedev sacked Russia's most powerful intelligence chief Friday in a move that underscores strained ties with some of the military top brass over a Kremlin-backed reform of the armed forces. Demands for Putin's Ouster and Appeals to Medvedev Multiply Demonstrations yesterday in various parts of the Russian Federation called on President Dmitry Medvedev to dismiss Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and his government for their failure to cope with the deepening economic crisis, warning that there could be "a social explosion" if he is not ousted soon. 'Elementary rights' still lacking in Russia: Medvedev President Dmitry Medvedev has admitted that several "elementary" human rights are still lacking in Russia. President Medvedev congratulates Gorbachev on 78th birthday Russian President Dmitry Medvedev congratulated former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev on his 78th birthday on Monday. Russia's Medvedev demands probe of regional vote Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday ordered the Election Commission to investigate alleged violations in last week's regional elections Medvedev: Russia needs new top people President Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday that Russia's government needs new people in top positions, a signal that he wants more clout in leadership circles dominated by allies of his predecessor Vladimir Putin. Medvedev says to publish annual data on his private assets Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday that all state officials, himself included, must make public annual data on their income and private assets, including property. Medvedev's First Year Ends with Denials of the Need for Change Last week marked a year since Dmitry Medvedev was elected Russia's third president, but he has few reasons to be satisfied with this start. There is nothing resembling a "Medvedev team" in the Kremlin   Opposition Russian Communist leader warns of colour revolution threat The Russian Communist Party leader, Gennadiy Zyuganov, has urged not to minimize the threat of a colour revolution in Russia in the situation of the financial crisis, the implementation of which is a way to the country's demise. "Christ was the first communist" Despite attempts to erase vestiges of the Soviet past, the Communist Party in Russia still has support. On the anniversary of the birth of its founder, Vladimir Lenin, RT talks to its current leader, Gennady Zyuganov. The Peter Pan of politics Two years after his National Bolshevik Party was outlawed by a Russian court, and a year after an unlikely alliance with liberal former chess champion Gary Kasparov failed to make much of an impact on Russia's presidential election, Limonov is setting his sights on a new bid for the presidency, in 2012 Portrait of a Nationalist Russian Profile Times of economic hardship have been known to breathe new life into nationalist and racist sentiments. As more people lose their jobs, both Russian and migrant, the "Russia for the Russians" slogan is gaining popularity Solidarity Activist Attacked In Russia Yelena Vasileva, a member of the political council of Russia's opposition Solidarity movement, was attacked and beaten on a train from Tambov to Moscow Idealism Amid the Cynicism of Russian Politics A first-time candidate for office and a member of Vladimir Putin's ruling United Russia party, Chumachenko won a seat on a local legislative council in St. Petersburg last month. Three weeks later, he publicly renounced his own victory, expressing disgust that votes had been falsified in his favor. Russian Mayor Walks Into Chess Master's Trap For all the intrigue that had surrounded the mayoral elections in Sochi, Acting Mayor Anatoly N. Pakhomov managed to avoid confronting his critics — or even acknowledging their existence — until Friday, when he was outfoxed by a grandmaster. Garry Kasparov, Beware of Doing Deals With Putin Vladimir Putin's regime is fighting for its political life. That's the good news. But the bad news is that the Obama administration is sending out mixed messages that may help the Russian autocratic regime survive. Gorbachev criticizes Putin's party In some of his strongest criticism of his successors, Mikhail Gorbachev on Thursday likened Vladimir Putin's United Russia party to the worst of the communists he once led and helped bring down, and said Russia is today a country where the parliament and the judiciary are not fully free. Comrade Kasparov - Charlatan or Bolshevik Debunking Russophobic drivel is somewhat akin to grenade fishing - so damn easy that you almost feel a bit guilty for stooping to such a level and wasting your time. St. Petersburg Event For National Protest in Doubt Local oppositional leaders were vague or out of reach when approached on Monday about whether the Dissenters' Day, a nationwide protest organized by the pro-democracy coalition The Other Russia, would take place in St. Petersburg.   Elections Ruling party tops vote as Russian rivals cry foul Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's party has swept local elections that other parties and independent observers said were awash with voting irregularities If Parliamentary Elections Had Been Honest, United Russia Would Still Have Won a Majority Direct falsification and the use of what are euphemistically called "administrative resources" gave the pro-Kremlin United Russia Party 37 more seats in the Duma than the simple majority it would have won without such pressure.   Commentary Medvedev should democratise in response to the political crisis A recent article in the paints a hypothetical picture of the world in 2012... Medieval tactics to tackle corruption Russian officials may soon have a limit on the time they can serve in one place. Forced rotation similar to that used by medieval banks in Lombardy is aimed at curbing corruption Russians See Few Government Achievements Two-in-five adults in Russia think the sitting government did little in the past year, according to a poll by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center. 40 per cent of respondents say the government has no achievements whatsoever. Window on Eurasia: 'Privatizatsiya' May Live Five Years Less than 'Ivan,' Moscow Scholars Warn In yet another echo of Soviet times, Russian parents are once again giving their children politicized rather than traditional names. Instead of monikers connected with the Communist Party or the Soviet system, they are selecting names connected to the country's security services or to new social trends such as privatization. Vodkas Reflect Allure of Power Putinka vodka piggybacked on the cult-like popularity of Vladimir Putin to become one of Russia's top-selling brands of spirits. For a new vodka named after Mr. Putin's presidential successor, Putinka is proving to be as tough an act to follow as Mr. Putin himself. Russian Juries On Trial In Wake Of Politkovskaya Verdict Shortly after a Moscow jury acquitted three men of participating in the assassination of journalist Anna Politkovskaya last week Putin Russian ex-PM Gaidar sees stable rouble, backs Putin A main architect of Russia's market economy has backed Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's view that the rouble will not drop further and praised Moscow's handling of the worst financial crisis in nearly 80 years. Russian hardliners slam Putin in rally RUSSIAN extreme nationalists blasted Prime Minister Vladimir Putin yesterday and shouted slogans against immigrants at a rally to honour troops killed fighting in Chechnya. Russia Stock Gains Strengthen Putin as Ukraine Drops Russia, the worst-performing major stock market in 2008, was Europe's best last month as the ruble rose and reserves stabilized. Every neighboring market crumbled. Putin curbs 'bloody' seal hunt Russia is moving to end its seal hunt, with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin calling it a "bloody industry." The decision comes as the European Union edges toward banning the trans-shipment of seal products, a move that could stop the Atlantic seal hunt for good. Putin Critics Seek to Win Control of Russia's Olympic City President Dmitry Medvedev said Russia's worst economic crisis in a decade will help "cleanse" the country of businessmen who harm the country by ignoring their social and moral obligations   Regions The New Leader of a Russian Region Inherits Its Burdens and Its People's Hopes The new president, Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, has ordered security barriers removed from most government offices, reasoning that authorities should not need protection from their own people. Tension in remote regions tests Moscow Officials in both Moscow and Dagestan are still not sure what happened during the week-long standoff nor can they explain fully the bizarre behaviour by both sides. In the end, no shots were fired, Mr Radchenko is now in hiding Russian court ousts Lebedev from Olympic city race A Russian court ruled on Monday that tycoon Alexander Lebedev's registration as a mayoral candidate in the Olympic city of Sochi is invalid, the billionaire vowed to appeal a decision that Kremlin critics called part of a dirty campaign to ensure victory for the government favorite. Danger of discontent in far-flung centres With the economic crisis has come discontent in places on Russia's periphery. Overwhelmingly, opposition to the government is following a regional logic rather than class or ideological affiliation. Russia ends operations in Chechnya Russia on Thursday lifted tight security restrictions which have been in force in Chechnya for 10 years in a move likely to bolster the authority of the region's Kremlin-backed leader. Counterterror Regime Reinstated In Southern Chechnya Chechen officials have reinstated a special security regime in two southern districts in Chechnya just one day after Moscow announced it was ending the regime, RFE/RL's Russian Service reports. Russian death squads 'pulverise' Elite commandos have broken their silence to reveal how they torture, execute and then blow captives to atoms to obliterate the grisly evidence Roland Oliphant, Lessons From Sochi After a month of high profile campaigning by celebrity and not-so-celebrity candidates, the Sochi Mayoral Elections are over. But what had been dubbed the most interesting elections in Russia's recent history produced a disappointingly orthodox result. United Russia's candidate, acting mayor Anatoly Pakhomov, took some 77 percent of the vote.   Youth Pro-Kremlin Activists Hold Anti-Khodorkovsky Rally Activists of the pro-Kremlin Nashi (Ours) youth movement held a protest against jailed former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky.   NATO NATO to consider Russian concerns over its expansion NATO will continue to expand, but will not ignore the concerns expressed by Russia on this issue, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said at a meeting of NATO defense ministers.   Treaty Russia focuses on upgrading its nuclear arsenals Modernization of Russia's strategic nuclear forces is a top priority for the government, a senior Cabinet official said Wednesday. Russia sets tough tone for arms talks with US Russia's foreign minister set a tough tone Thursday for nuclear arms control talks with the new U.S. administration, raising demands that long have been a stumbling block for Russian and U.S. negotiators. U.S., Russia Plans to Destroy Chemical Arms Imperiled by Crisis U.S. and Russian commitments to dismantle stockpiles of chemical weapons, which will cost taxpayers more than $20 billion, are challenged by the global economic slowdown Russian general says watching Arctic militarization Russia said on Monday it was watching the extent of militarization in the Arctic as global warming makes potentially valuable resources in the polar region more accessible and would plan its strategy accordingly. Russian Proposal For New European Security Pact Encounters Skepticism President Dmitry Medvedev said the short conflict that pitted his country against Georgia last summer once again demonstrated the expediency of developing "new, truly reliable approaches to ensuring international security   US Obama denies offering Russia missile shield deal U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday denied offering Russia a deal in which Washington would slow deployment of a missile defence shield in Europe in exchange for Moscow's help in a nuclear stand-off with Iran Why Obama's 1st outreach to Russia is bound to fail President Obama might want to reset his "reset" of U.S.-Russia relations.  Last week, the president revealed that he had sent a not-so-secret letter to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev "talking about a whole range of issues. There Are More Ways than One to Hit the Reset Button Obama is clearly sending out positive signals, yet Moscow, regrettably, has so far refrained from offering to meet him halfway, producing little except rhetoric about its readiness to try new foreign policy approaches. Kto Vinovat? Who's to blame? The "reset" mistranslation whodunit Clinton gave Lavrov a mock "reset" button, with the Russian word peregruzka written on the side, as a kind of light-spirited gag gift. Problem was, as Lavrov and media reports subsequently noted, the translation was slightly off, and the button Clinton delivered actually translated to something closer to "overload," rather than perezagruzit, "to reset. The Risk to U.S. Supply Lines With Afghanistan now the Obama administration's top military priority, Central Asia has taken on new international importance. The five former Soviet republics usually lumped together as "the Stans" -- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan -- are set to provide the new supply lines for the U.S. military effort in Afghanistan.   Study Politics in Russia The Library: Politics in Russia SRAS Resources for Teachers   Find out more! SRAS Travel Services More Study Abroad Programs Internships in Russia Heath and Safety in Russia The SRAS Newsletter Journal for Students More Free Resources!  Questions or comments? Contact the editor. « back to News archive print this page email this page