.jpg "Urban protests over Russian polls grow")
According to media reports, the authorities plan to move 2 battalions of the Dzerzhinsky Division to Moscow this weekend. The troops are to patrol the city’s downtown and subway, and then, on Sunday, to move to Manezhnaya Square – this Sunday marks the first anniversary of Manezhnaya nationalist riots, and the authorities claim there is a possibility of another nationalist extremist action there. However, it would be the second time in the post-election week that the Dzerzhinsky Division troops have entered the city, and, apart from the uncertain nationalist action, another opposition manifestation to protest election results is planned for Saturday. The demonstration is sanctioned by the authorities, however, the license is given only for 300 participants, while, according to internet social networks such as Facebook and Vkontakte, some 37,000 are planning to express their protest on December, 10. The founder and top manager of the Vkontakte page, Pavel Durov, claims that security forces have been pressuring the network’s administration to close down opposition-oriented groups that coordinate the actions of opposition partisans and sympathizers.
Two previous opposition demonstrations (on Chistiye Prudi and Triumphalnaya Square) gathered some 2,700 – according to official governmental data, or more than 20,000 – according to unofficial sources. Some of the demonstrations’ participants are still being detained by the police under administrative violation charges. Opposition actions are being held in other cities of Russia, such as St.-Petersburg, Samara, Cheboksari, Chelyabinsk and others. Nevertheless, some experts have a rather skeptical and calm attitude towards these street protests.
According to Sergei Markov, deputy chairman of the Duma committee for social and religious associations, the elections showed that Russian people are anticipating the return of Putin, whose rating is generally higher than that of the ‘United Russia’, to the president’s chair and expect him to turn back to his former image of active politician who is not afraid of innovations and reforms. The expert also pointed out that as a result of the elections, existing political system, where one party can unilaterally make decisions, appoint Duma committees’ chairpersons etc. remained untouched despite decrease in ‘United Russia’s’ mandate number.
Expert also congratulated the Communist Party and the “Just Russia” Party on their success on the elections, while noticing that the results of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia are less satisfying – despite all expectations the party didn’t win any ‘bonus’ by actively addressing the ‘Russian nation question” that is so urgent these times.
Mr. Markov also called opposition ‘Yabloko’ Party that officially failed to pass the 5% “egoists, hyper-individualists and traitors to the liberal idea”. According to the expert, the fact that the party won only on polling stations located in Paris and Washington proves that it is in fact a pro-Western force. (At the same time ‘Yabloko’ leaders claim that the party won some 20% of electors’ support in Russia and lost it to the massive election frauds and intend to launch a court appeal in order to discharge the official election results as inadequate. Today the Communist Party of Russian Federation – the one that occupies the second place according to the election results - is also holding a party conference that has the issue of recognizing the election results to be falsified on the top of its agenda, Vadim Solovyev, the head of the party’s Central Committee told ‘Echo Moskvi’ radio station).
The Head of the ‘Petersburg Politics’ Foundation Mikhail Vinogradov said that the period of pre-election anticipation and concerns lasted through last weekend. According to Vinogradov, all concerns were dispelled by the first announcements of election results Sunday night. “There were some violations, but in general the official result is adequate to the will of Russian people. It is even more adequate than it was in 2007. The fact that the ‘United Russia’ won only 50% of the votes made journalists, politicians and experts feel relieved”, Vinogradov said. Nevertheless, he recognized that non-parliamentary opposition claims have a solid basis and are to be treated with a great deal of attention. Vinogradov also noted that current mechanism of appeal satisfaction by Election Committees is ultimately flawed and has to be revised before the Presidential elections that will take place in March.
