World press on parliamentary elections in Georgia and Russia's ban on insulting religious feelings (October 1-2, 2012)

Novaya Gazeta published an article by Yuliya Latynina headlined "Georgian opposition did what Russian army couldn't do", devoted to the parliamentary elections that were recently held in Georgia. 

The victory of the opposition shows that the democratic reforms failed, Latynina believes. The Georgian Dream bloc will obstruct further democratic transformation and take the country back to a time of corruption and crime. The party's policy will break the country's financial stability and populist moves will prevent the development of a middle class.

"The Georgian people did what Putin could not do," the author says. According to her, the Kremlin no longer needs military intervention in Georgia, as the opposition managed to win the polls. 

This case shows that democratic and market reforms in post-Soviet country's are practically impossible, as the vast majority of the population are lumpens, who are not interested in democracy or a market economy, she suggests. Latynina believes that universal suffrage in such countries prevents successful democratic transition.

"Russia Is Turning Into Iran," is the headline of an article published by The Moscow Times recently. 

"On Tuesday, members of the four parties represented in the State Duma introduced a bill that would carry a three-year prison sentence for "insulting the religious feelings of others." Given the bill's widespread support in the Kremlin and Russian Orthodox Church, it is all but assured of becoming law. This would take Russia another step closer to becoming like Iran and other Muslim theocracies, where "insulting Islam" is also punishable by severe prison sentences," the article reads.

"This is a disturbing and dangerous trend for Russia, particularly given that it wants to modernize. In its frenzy to punish blasphemers, the country's much-acclaimed drive to innovate and develop is bound to suffer," the author of the article, Michael Bohm, says.

"Russia needs to choose which course it wants to take: anti-Western and theocratic or liberal-­democratic. It is basically a choice between a closed and open society. Yet it would seem that the Kremlin has already made that choice as it attempts to develop a quasi-theocratic state," the article reads.