Gorbachev says 1989 polls were the only free elections in Russia

Former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev says the 1989 federal legislative elections (and 1990 local elections)  were the only free and fair elections in the history of Russia.

Gorbachev told Ekho Moskvy yesterday that since then there have been no free and democratic elections in Russia.

Former Soviet leader specified that the 1996 presidential elections, in which he took part himself, were unfair and that the administration sabotaged his campaign.