Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday the opposition should “behave calmly” and not create obstacles for the ruling party to govern.
“The ruling party and the majority expect the opposition to behave calmly and not to rock the boat,” Putin, head of the ruling United Russia party, said in the State Duma’s last session before the December 4 parliamentary elections.
“The opposition is only there to make sure that the ruling party can grip tighter the steering wheel of governance and show society the rightness of its chosen paths along which the country is developing,” Putin said.
“In the face of a storm, a crisis, it is very important that the entire team work together so that the boat doesn’t capsize,” he went on.
United Russia’s ratings have slumped in recent months. A VTsIOM poll earlier this month showed that 40 percent of respondents planned to vote for United Russia – down from over 60 percent last month.
Parties and regions for State Duma elections