Russia braced for another mass protest in the heart of the capital Saturday by voters angry over recent elections won by Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party, while the Kremlin countered critics’ complaints with stunning calls of its own for dramatic political reform, RIA Novosti reports.
Tens of thousands of people have taken to blogs and social networks to pledge participation in the rally, expected to be addressed by figures ranging from Mikhail Gorbachev and corruption whistleblower Alexei Navalny to rock musician Yury Shevchuk and novelist Boris Akunin.
Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, who has plans to run in the presidential elections next year, also set to take part in Saturday's protest in Moscow against alleged vote fraud.
His spokesperson says, that Prokhorov would mingle with the crowds at the protest and would only speak if the organizers called him onto the stage.
The scheduled rally is the second of its kind in as many weeks following the mass demonstration on December 10 – the largest protest in Russia in nearly two decades – and will further test popular support for Putin, 59, who has announced plans to return as president next spring.
