Blogging the democratic revolution
Andy has this week’s news roundup of happenings inside and out of Russia.
Andy over at Siberian Light has the week’s worth of Russian news up at his blog.
A couple of days ago, I posted the full transcript of the press conference between President Bush and Putin after their meeting. In that post, I highlighted in bold what I thought were remarks worth noting and looking into. One journalist, in particular, threw a weird question out there, asking: To follow up on the issue of democratic institutions, President Bush recently stated that the press in Russia is not free. What is this lack of freedom all about? Your aides probably mentioned to you that our media, both electronic and our printed media, have full coverage on the manifestations…
Andy has got his weekly round up news from Russia, focusing on domestic, foreign, near-abroad, and business. Well, that’s just about everything. Did I mention it’s Andy’s birthday? Go over and give him so love.
Orange Revolution reports that PORA has acquired contacts among uncountable numbers of youth in Russia, and that they are seeking ways to have a movement of their own. Yabloko’s Youth wing and a new movement “Moving without Putin” have signed a pact to consolidate youth groups opposed to the Putin regime. PORA has reported the expansion of contacts with Russian youth seeking to replicate the success of the Orange Revolution: That’s a good sign. In other countries such as those in Central Asia, opposition groups are fragmented, which makes it much harder to carry out their opposing. The consolidation of…
Reading over the actual transcript of the press conference has been a lot more interesting than just reading the news articles about that. I guess those in the press just haven’t caught on to my tastes yet, but I can forgive them for now. At the beginning of the press conference, both President Bush and Putin give their littles speeches. The action didn’t start until the newspeople started asking their loaded questions… something that made for even better answers. You’ve got to love it. I’ve put in bold some parts of interest; things that many of us have wondered about.…
I came across an article a couple of days ago detailing how Russia killed some Chechen rebels by using gas and storming the building. Russian troops on Sunday used heavy weaponry and gas to kill three rebels holed up in a house near Chechnya, local media reported. The rebels were besieged in an apartment block for more than a day, before dozens of special forces troops with armored vehicles subdued them, leaving their apartment in flames, Reuters news agency reported. Now, what I’m getting at is not how dire the situation is between these two factions, but the use of…
From this article: Although details were still being negotiated last night, the joint statement to be released at the presidential summit in Bratislava, Slovakia, could be used as a counterpoint to the rising tension in U.S.-Russian relations over Putin’s crackdown on domestic dissent. Bush has promised to challenge Putin on Russia’s retreat from democracy during their meeting but has also stressed his continuing friendship for the Russian president and their ability to work together on mutual security issues. “We’re trying to demonstrate that we can make progress and move forward despite these other issues,” a senior Bush administration official said.…
Let the laughing at Putin ensue: Belgium ???????? President Bush scolded Russia for backsliding on democracy Monday and dined on lobster risotto and filet of beef with French President Jacques Chirac (search ). Three days before seeing Vladimir Putin (search) in Slovakia, Bush admonished the Russian leader to “renew a commitment to democracy and the rule of law.” Putin has raised alarms in the West by consolidating power, rolling back democratic reforms and curbing press and political freedoms. Bush said the United States and all European countries “should place democratic reform at the heart of their dialogue with Russia.” The…
Nathan has got the news roundup for all of you. The parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan are on February 27. Luckily, that is a Sunday, which means I will have plenty of time to be posting on it as well. If there’s anything the tin-pot despots there know, it is when to pick a good day for rigged elections! I don’t even think I have to say that Russia is backing the current regime. UPDATE: More on the Rainbow of Revolutions from Aussiegirl. Here’s my favorite quote from the article she posted: Moscow has been careful to appear impartial this time,…
In a sweeping post, The Faces of G comments on the new alignments: Several key anti-U.S. states have been more public in their movements and alignments. A week ago, North Korea boasted of its nuclear weapons. Syria and Iran get together to build a ‘common front’ Änothing new, just a PR stunt reallyÅ. Today, Russia stated it would continue to help Iran’s “peaceful” nuclear program. On Wednesday, CIA director Porter Goss warned that a Chinese military build-up could tip the cross-strait military balance with Taiwan. China didn’t like those remarks, but must at the same time walk a diplomatic tightrope,…
In particular, some executives of YUKOS and MENATEP testified to the Senate, a huge blow to Putin in a hearing that is entitled “Democracy in Retreat in Russia”: The U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held a hearing yesterday (February 17) on “Democracy in Retreat in Russia.” The star witnesses were Steven Theede, the embattled Yukos oil company’s chief executive officer, and Tim Osborne, a member of the board of directors of Group Menatep, Yukos’ parent company. In a written statement provided to the committee and posted on its website, Theede accused the Russian government of carrying out “a ruthless…
Lyndon Allin notes at once that Putin’s government is losing legitimacy and stomping on its own support, but a strong democratic movement doesn’t exist to topple him any time soon. Bright People in Senate Will Not Save Kremlin By Nikolai Petrov, Thursday, February 17, 2005. Page 9. Ä…Å Political stability now hangs by a thread. This thread is not the president himself but his popularity, constantly slipping of late. The state is rapidly losing its institutions and its legitimacy. And instead of looking for new sources of support, the government keeps destroying the ones it has. Putin continues to rely…
David McDuff posts what a Russian MP says about Russia-Latvia relations being the worst out of all near abroad countries. Here is the part he posted, and what I consider very interesting: “This isn’t Russia’s choice, it’s Latvia’s,” he stressed. He said “calls to normalize relations have not been heeded by the Latvian side”. “We can see this in the example of the campaign of provocation unleashed in Latvia in connection with the approach of the 60th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War ÄWorld War IIÅ,” the MP said. Kosachev said the international affairs committee is closely following…
Andy has posted all news Russian for the week, covering domestic, international, near-abroad, and economics issues.
Andy notes that the only opposition party in Russia today is the communists. Actually, the KPRF has been the main opposition party in Russia for most (if not all) of the last decade. I haven’t followed it’s fortunes all that closely for a few years but, several years back, it seemed to have comfortably reconciled itself to working within the new, more democratic, system. In the late 1990s the KPRF dominated the Duma and, instead the legislative process grinding to a halt before a brick wall of communist obstruction, the Duma during that period was one of the most effective…
Andy notes that rallies are taking place all over Russia, from both sides of the Putin/Pensions issue. Young members of the Young Yabloko party wearing orange scarves and bandannas also attended the rally. “The orange I’m wearing does not mean that I support the current Ukrainian leadership, but it is a symbol of freedom and democracy for me,” said Alexei Leontyev, 22. “People achieved what they wanted in Ukraine, and I want the same for Russia.” I guess that means the protesters aren’t all communists.
Carlo Stagnaro suggests that the European Union is ignoring Putin’s abuses because he signed on to the Kyoto Protocol. I’d like to add that signing on to Kyoto itself is a kind of abuse. I’m not sure if Putin will ignore it or not, but it makes the perfect excuse to put into place anti-free market measures and further government control. UPDATE: Kirk posts in the comments section: I think it is important here to note the reason why Russia decided to ratify the Kyoto Treaty in the first place – the European Union agreed to support Russia’s bid to…
When it comes to communists, at least they live up to their beliefs by working together: WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States said on Thursday it was troubled by Russian plans to sell Venezuela arms that U.S. officials suggest could be used to aid leftist guerrillas in Latin America. The arms pact announced last year by Venezuela’s firebrand President Hugo Chavez would give the South American OPEC member 100,000 automatic rifles and a number of helicopters. Venezuela is also evaluating Russian MiG-29 fighters as possible replacements for its F-16s. Bush administration officials have voiced increasing disquiet about the agreement in…
Aussiegirl is reflecting on Putin post-9/11 and how he has fallen back into his old KGB ways. On November 15, 2001, President Putin visited the United States and was feted at the Bush ranch in Crawford, Texas. He was riding high in the saddle at the time. It looked like Russia was entering the free world at last, democratizing, cooperating on the war on terror, and could easily become an ally and partner of the United States in a new post-Soviet world. This is the meeting where George Bush drove him around the ranch in his pickup truck and treated…
Andy has posted, much to my adoration, his Russia news roundup for the week. Check it out!
Sergei Blagov writes on the possibly of colder relations with Russia after Zhvania’s death. Russian analysts and media outlets believe the death of Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania could have significant repercussions for bilateral relations between Russia and Georgia, as well as for stability within Georgia itself. Official statements out of the Kremlin since Zhvania????????s February 3 death have emphasized the political leader????????s moderation and responsibility. ÄFor background see the Eurasia Insight archiveÅ. Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Zhvania as a champion of “friendly and good-neighborly relations” between Russia and Georgia. Russian Transportation Minister Igor Levitin, who headed Russia????????s delegation…
In a marathon-length press conference on February 3, Kremlin political consultant Gleb Pavlovsky laid certain Russian markers in Eurasia ahead of the George W. Bush-Vladimir Putin summit and, by the same token, seized the moment to announce a major redefinition of Russia’s policy in the “post-Soviet space.” Russia has revealed details on its new three-point foreign policy, which includes heavily interfering in neighboring states including the CIS and Baltics, and attempting to become a world power again. 1) Belarus represents an optimal model of integration with Russia, whereby the regime’s ultimate political reliability will override other issues. “We are totally…
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said something funny today: “Obviously we have concerns … it is important that Russia make clear to the world that it is intent on strengthening the rule of law, strengthening the role of an independent judiciary, permitting a free and independent press,” Rice told a news conference in Warsaw, during a stopover en route to Turkey. “These are all the basics of democracy.” Drudge’s headline was even better: Rice: U.S., Europe Ready to Move On… Says Russia should respect democratic traditions… The comedy! The hilarity! Just take a look at the tradition of democracy in…