With a stroke of a pen on Friday evening Russia joins the World Trade Organisation, something that’s been a long time coming. Experts agree the end of the eighteen year courtship with the WTO will not bring immediate results for Russian economy. Immediately it will seriously hit a number of uncompetitive industries, such as agriculture [...]
Tag: support
December 16, 2011
December 12, 2011
Mikhail Prokhorov, Russia’s third richest man, to challenge Putin
Russia‘s third richest man has said that he would seek to challenge Vladimir Putin for the presidency, prompting speculation that the surprise move could be part of a Kremlin attempt to channel growing middle class opposition to Putin’s regime. “I have made a decision, probably the most serious decision of my life,” the oligarch Mikhail [...]
December 12, 2011
Russian ex-finance minister says may establish new political party
It is an ideal time for establishing a new Russian right-wing party as the country’s “political landscape” is changing, former Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said in an interview with Vedomosti business daily published on Monday. New Russian party to be established In the first interview after his scandalous dismissal, Kudrin, who fell out with [...]
December 11, 2011
Medvedev disapproves of rally’s slogans, but orders election probe
President Dmitry Medvedev ordered an investigation into alleged vote rigging, but stressed the messages voiced at the opposition demonstration Saturday did not carry his support. “I disagree with both the slogans and statements made at the rally. Nevertheless, I have given instructions that all reports from voting stations be checked to ensure compliance with election [...]
December 9, 2011
Russian election watchdog emails to US State Dept. go online
Russian news website Life News has published emails it claims show correspondences between the US State Dept. and the major Russian election-watchdog Golos, discussing financing to help discredit the results of Russia’s parliamentary vote. Life News says it has come into the possession of 60 megabytes of Golos’ private online correspondences. According to Life News, [...]
December 8, 2011
The Decembrist Uprising
The Power Vertical Demonstrators take part in a protest rally against electoral fraud in Kaliningrad on December 7. December 08, 2011 Throughout his first stint in the Kremlin, from 2000-08, Vladimir Putin was able to count on the rock-solid support of Russia’s emerging new middle class. And why not? He was largely credited with creating [...]
December 8, 2011
Sociologists: Opposition more popular in cyberspace
Most Russians do not trust the non-parliamentary opposition which is now leading an active campaign against alleged falsifications of the State Duma elections, a sociological study has revealed. The survey was conducted by the independent analytical Levada Center a week before the parliamentary election. It showed that 58% of respondents have no trust in the [...]
December 8, 2011
U.S. says will continue support for peaceful protests, including in Russia
The United States will continue to support the rights of citizens for peaceful protests everywhere in the world, including Russia, a Department of State deputy spokesperson said. “And again, I think as we’ve said before, we would obviously support the rights of anyone to peaceful protest – emphasis on peaceful – anywhere in the world. [...]
December 7, 2011
Russian police and troops clash with protesters in Moscow
Police clash with protesters in Moscow. Link to this video Police and interior ministry troops have clashed with protesters in Moscow during a second day of protests against the rule of Vladimir Putin. Around 600 protesters were reported to have gathered near Triumphal Square in central Moscow, but they included many pro-Kremlin youths in blue [...]
December 6, 2011
Main news of December 5
Thousands of people gathered in downtown Moscow on Monday to protest against alleged election fraud at this weekend’s parliamentary polls, which saw a big slump in support for Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party The governing United Russia party has done well in the State Duma elections, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Despite the [...]
December 5, 2011
State Duma polls: Who won, who lost?
Russia’s parliamentary elections may have revealed a slump in support for the ruling United Russia party, but it is still too early to talk about the decline of the country’s most powerful political force, analysts say. They agree, though, that the results of Sunday’s State Duma vote present a challenge for the party’s traditional dominance [...]
December 5, 2011
Russian elections: support for Vladimir Putin’s party drops sharply
Vladimir Putin‘s United Russia party is scrambling to come to terms with an election outcome that showed its support severely dropping across the country. With 95% of votes counted, the party stood to take 49.67% in Sunday’s parliamentary election. Election monitors from opposition parties and from independent NGO Golos complained of widespread falsifications, meaning the [...]
December 5, 2011
Preliminary results: United Russia wins with 50%, loses parliamentary majority
With almost all the votes counted in the parliamentary election, Putin-led United Russia has received the support of fewer voters than in 2007, but still remains the biggest party in the Duma. According to the Russian Central Election Commission, the United Russia got almost 50 per cent of the votes, the Communist Party (KPRF) is [...]
December 5, 2011
Russian parliamentary elections: rousing from a long slumber | Editorial
Vladimir Putin made it crystal clear what he expected out of yesterday’s parliamentary election – a national show of loyalty. Parliament was no place for the opposition. He told shipyard workers in St Petersburg: “If someone wants to watch a show, then they need to go to the circus, the movies or theatre.” This is [...]
December 4, 2011
Putin party suffers big loss in Russia vote
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s party suffered a sharp drop in support Sunday in parliamentary elections, winning the most votes but falling far short of the majority it has enjoyed for years and possibly failing to clear the 50-percent mark, early results showed. With more than 52 percent of the ballots counted, the ruling United [...]