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22.05.2009 Russian Politics in Review May, 2009 The following resource is meant to quickly introduce the reader to political issues in Russia with a focus on politics impacts life in Russia and to what extent the political field can be cause diverse or reflective of the population. This news review is part of SRAS's monthly "obzor" publications. For more reviews, see the newsletter for this corresponding month. To receive the free monthly newsletter and obzori by email, simply sign up.     Medvedev Medvedev hints at easing Putin-era political restrictions President Dmitry Medvedev signaled Tuesday support for easing political restrictions imposed by his predecessor, Vladimir Putin, that were slammed in the West as a rollback of democracy. Medvedev marks year in office with anti-corruption vow Russian President Dmitry Medvedev marked on Thursday the first anniversary of his inauguration and vowed to continue the fight against corruption by taking the effort under his personal control. A year in tandem - 12 months of Medvedev and Putin President Dmitry Medvedev marked his first year in office on Thursday with speculation still intense over who runs Russia - the new president, or the old one, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Russians React To One Year Of Medvedev's Presidency Many Muscovites told RFE/RL that they were positive about Medvedev's first year, saying that he had made a good impression. Medvedev's first year: Has justice improved in Russia? Some Russians say a new Amnesty International assessment understates the dangers faced by those who dare to offer dissent. Speech at Military Parade in Honour of 64th Anniversary of Victory in Great Patriotic War Military parade took place on Red Square in honour of 64th anniversary of Victory in Great Patriotic War. Dmitry Medvedev welcomed war veterans, parade participants and guests. The President congratulated those present and all Russian citizens on the Victory Day. Medvedev says parties should take part in debates President Dmitry Medvedev took a thinly veiled swipe at his predecessor Vladimir Putin's political party Tuesday, saying it should be mandatory for parties seeking seats in parliament to participate in debates. Russia's Medvedev sees no graft campaign success Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was quoted as saying on Tuesday his high-profile drive to cut corruption had so far failed. Russia Medvedev calls for stronger state guarantees Russia's plan to help key companies through a system of state guarantees has been a failure, President Dmitry Medvedev said on Wednesday, calling for stronger state guarantees on loans. Dmitri Medvedev aide attacks Vladimir Putin's concentration of power A senior adviser to Dmitri Medvedev, the Russian president, has made a thinly-veiled attack on Vladimir Putin saying Russia will remain a second-class power until it stops concentrating power in the hands of a hard-line elite. Oppostion Beginning of Meeting with Members of Communist Party of Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev met with Russian Communist Party members. The President's meeting with members of the Communist Party is part of a series of consultations with parliamentary parties. Opening Address at Meeting with Business Community Representatives Excerpts from the Transcript of Meeting with Business Community Representatives. Medvedev adviser pushes strong liberal agenda Far from Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin falling out over key policy issues, Russia's top leaders are united in their determination to modernise the country and prevent it slipping into extremism during the economic crisis. Excerpts from Transcript of Interview with CNBC TV channel A certain fall in GDP has been observed in Russia. What would be your comments on the matter? Could you tell us at what stage the Russian economy is at the moment, after the global economic slump? Excerpts from Working Meeting with Minister of Justice Alexander Konovalov Mr Konovalov, improving our country's judicial system is still very much on the agenda. Everyone needs to do their part, including the Ministry of Justice, as one of the ministries most directly concerned by this work.   Opposition  The Power Vertical  Forty Years In The Wilderness Forty years ago today, on May 20, 1969, the human rights movement in the Soviet Union took a bold step forward. A group of 15 brave individuals – scholars, writers, historians – announced the formation of the Initiative Group for Human Rights in the USSR and sent an open letter to the UN Human Rights Commission. Kasparov confronts prosecutor in Khodorkovsky case Kremlin opponent Garry Kasparov attended the trial of onetime billionaire Mikhail Khodorkovsky on Wednesday, getting in a brief, heated exchange with one of the Russian prosecutors during a recess. Taking a stand: Eduard Limonov talks about his plans to become president of Russia Limonov, who was frequently described as an "extreme nationalist" in the 1990s but joined Kasparov's United Civil Front to form the pro-democracy coalition The Other Russia in 2005, came with his presidential program, which claims that the first thing he would do if elected would be to restore democracy in Russia. Nemtsov Vows To Contest Sochi Mayoral Results Opposition candidate Boris Nemtsov says he will fight to annul the results of the April 26 mayoral election in the southern Russian resort city of Sochi. Old dissidents still a voice in Russia but fading They were the Soviet dissidents, the human faces of the Cold War, waging nonviolent resistance against a cruel and cynical system. How Moscow killed communism What needs explanation is less what happened in eastern and central Europe in 1989 than the change of policy in Moscow as a result of the dire economic necessity that forced the dramatic changes of Soviet foreign and domestic policy made by Gorbachev. Could United Russia Go the Way of the CPSU Obviously, the resignation of one politician from United Russia does not mean that the pro-Kremlin party is at risk of going the way of the CPSU in the immediate future. But as some may remember, it was the resignation of one regional CPSU official that hastened the decline of that party and of the political system the Communists built for themselves. Opening Remarks at Meeting with Members of Liberal Democratic Party of Russia This is a good tradition we now have, these consultations with political parties, with the major players on our political stage. Today it is the turn of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR).   Politics Russia Beyond the Headlines: There's more to leadership than you think The concept of leadership so prized by Americans it is difficult for Russians to grasp, even when the word is translated correctly. Russia crisis "strengthens hardliners" - key Medvedev adviser The global financial crisis has strengthened the hand of Russian hardliners who want greater state control and less to do with the West, a key adviser to President Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview on Wednesday. Russian Analytical Digest: Political Trends In Russia The Russian Analytical Digest covers political, economic and social developments in Russia and its regions, and looks at Russia 's role in international relations.   Putin Prime Minister Vladimir Putin met with Great Patriotic War veterans "The upcoming celebrations make it possible to thank all those who gave freedom and independence to our nation. It is common knowledge that every person and nation regards freedom as the greatest value." Russian president and PM: who does what? A year after Dmitry Medvedev was sworn in as Russian president, Kremlin watchers are still trying to guess how much influence he has in relation to his powerful prime minister, Vladimir Putin. Kremlin top job depends on crisis handling – Putin Vladimir Putin, Russia's prime minister, indicated on Sunday that the handling of the economic crisis would play a major role in determining whether he or President Dmitry Medvedev ran for the top Kremlin post in 2012. The Great Transformation: How the Putin Plan Altered Russian Society (PDF) Although Vladimir Putin is widely credited with having restored Russia to economic growth, this is but one result of the much more ambitious "Putin Plan" for the social reconstruction of Russian society through stable economic growth and a sound legal environment. Putin pens his first work: How to fire people This week Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will complete a clean sweep of the artistic disciplines after turning his hand to writing. Mr Putin's first ever column for a Russian media outlet will be published on Friday, entitled "Why it's hard to fire people."   Regions The Political Role of Russia's Regions This issue of the Russian Analytical Digest examines political and economic challenges to Russia's regions. Specifically, it considers the role of oblast governors in the regional elections and discusses the financial and management issues that the Rostov oblast faces during the global economic crisis. Further, it analyzes the Marii El presidential administration in the context power of regional government.  Oasis of socialism where cows listen to Tchaikovsky A village in Russia's south has successfully adopted a model of socialism and survives with no problems in the 21st century market economy surrounding them, and celebrate Labour Day with all the Soviet traditions. Interethnic Relations Still A Hot Potato In Daghestan Over the past six to 12 months, conferences, seminars and roundtable discussions on how to combat the perceived threat of Islamic terrorism have been held in one or another region of Daghestan almost every week. That emphasis created the impression that the North Caucasus resistance was the most serious, if not the sole threat to political stability in Daghestan. South Caucasus Presents Tangled Web Of Shifting Allegiances Now, with talk of an impending Armenian-Turkish rapprochement reaching a fever pitch, locals are hopeful that their isolation is at an end. Local Official Killed In Russian Far East An official responsible for state property in the Russian Far East city of Khabarovsk has been killed, RFE/RL's Russian service reports. The Kremlin's Chechen franchise Moscow has effectively franchised its war in Chechnya. Why Khabarovsk Was Chosen As EU-Russia Summit Location With little going on at the EU-Russia summit, the "FT's" Charles Clover has a nice piece looking at why the summit was held in a city nine time zones from Brussels. What Is Ramzan Kadyrov's New Game Plan? Chechen Republic head Ramzan Kadyrov has called for police and security forces in Chechnya, Ingushetia, and Daghestan to coordinate their efforts to hunt down and kill Islamic militants. Why Khabarovsk Was Chosen As EU-Russia Summit Location Not, you might think, a shrewd effort to befuddle the EU bureaucrats in advance of the gas negotiations, but apparently because Klaus hadn't been there. What Is Ramzan Kadyrov's New Game Plan Chechen Republic head Ramzan Kadyrov has called for police and security forces in Chechnya, Ingushetia, and Daghestan to coordinate their efforts to hunt down and kill Islamic militants. Running away from the city As soon as spring arrives, one can observe roughly the same picture every Friday afternoon in any large Russian city. From about 4 o'clock on, all the roads leading out of the city are jammed with cars. Russia's New 'Ghost Towns Vyacheslav Glazychev, a specialist on economic geography, says that saving these cities "at the local level" has become impossible and that nationalization of the firms will only create "the illusion of work". Election Fraud In Russia's Regions Stratfor this week published a little paper called "The Geography of Recession" that is worth taking a look at, if only to be reminded of the old axiom that "geography is destiny." Former leaders of Chechnya admit their ideology was wrong Former leaders of so-called Ichkeria have gathered in Groznyy - for the first time ever- to give a negative assessment of the events that took place in Chechnya in the 1990s, admitting that the ideology they promoted, was wrong. No government money for Sochi in 2009-10 The Russian government won't finance the preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi this year and next because there is enough financial support from private investors. Russian government to monitor situation in Pikalyovo The Russian government will monitor the situation in the northwestern Russian town of Pikalyovo where workers staged protests after failing to receive wage arrears.   Study Politics in Russia The Library: Politics in Russia SRAS Resources for Teachers   Find out more! SRAS Travel Services More Study Abroad Programs Internships in Russia Heath and Safety in Russia The SRAS Newsletter Journal for Students More Free Resources!  Questions or comments? Contact the editor. « back to News archive print this page email this page