BBC (Sunday): Russia's liberals boycott poll

[Jack Rabbit]

EDITED to fix tag

From the BBC Online
Dated Sunday December 21 18:26 GMT (10:26 am PST)

Russia's liberals boycott poll
By Nikolai Gorshkov
BBC Moscow correspondent

Russia's liberal Yabloko party has decided not to field a candidate in next March's presidential election.
Yabloko accuses the Kremlin of rigging the parliamentary poll
Speaking at a party strategy conference in Moscow, their veteran leader Grigory Yavlinsky branded the forthcoming poll a farce.
Mr Yavlinksy, who finished a distant third in the 2000 presidential race, said he saw no prospect of a free and fair election.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is widely expected to be re-elected.

Read more.

It sounds like Yavlinsky thinks the Frat Boy has nothing on Pootie-poot.

[Dover]

1. Now there's a group who understands the abuse potential of polls

////

[Gman]

2. We're almost at that point

after 2004 we'll know if we're there.

[ConcernedCanuk]

3. Hmmm - "Frat Boy has nothing on Pootie-poot." - I wonder ? ?

. . From the article:

"Another option discussed by the opposition is to encourage its supporters to vote against all candidates.

If successful, this may force a second round for Mr Putin - a blow to his image.

But the worst option for him will be the absence of any contenders at all, which the opposition hopes will expose the undemocratic nature of Russia's new political set-up.

Observers say the Kremlin is now putting pressure on opposition politicians to join the race and help avoid criticism of a return to a one-party system.

To prove his critics wrong, President Putin declined an offer from the pro-presidential majority in the new parliament to run on their ticket, and decided to go to the polls as an independent - a people's president"

/snip/

"decided to go to the polls as an independent - a people's president"

hmmm - I dunno -

I don't think Junior would dare try THAT !!

He'd be lost without his Gang of Thugs - no ? . . :shrug:

[goforit]

5. LOL!!!.......Can't imagine W doing this one.

?

[Jack Rabbit]

8. Some interesting ideas here

I wouldn't propose the idea that the Democrats should boycott the polls in 2004. However, we might start wondering about 2008.

This is how opposition groups protest rigged elections in countries that are only nomimally democratic, such as Latin American banana republics. Let's hope things don't go that far downhill that fast, but they might.

[Jack Rabbit]

9. For example

From the BBC Online
Dated Sunday December 21 22:51 GMT (2:51 pm PST)

Guinea leader heads for poll win

Guinea's long-serving leader, General Lansana Conte, looks certain to win a third term in office after Sunday's presidential election.
Turnout is reported to have been low, with the opposition claiming success in its call for a boycott of the election.
The president faced only one relatively unknown opponent, Mamadou Barry.
Other candidates pulled out in protest against a recent constitutional changes allowing General Conte to stand for a third term.

Read more.

[Tinoire]

4. Why don't we just come out and call these people what they are?

The Soros/Khodorkovsky's mafia privatization party?

This Yabloko Party has been voting against every budget the Duma has wanted (and luckily passed) because Russia plans not be to eaten up by that little IMF game after which people like Soros swoop in and buy the state's resources for pennies. And good for Russia and the Russian people! They don't seem too keen on all this privatisation
and foreigners buying up their media.

It's with little tricks and political manouverings like this that under the guise of an 'improved Democracy' (like the one they're trying to bring to Venezuela) that Soros and his friends Lucchini Ltd were able to acquire Poland's huge multi-billion dollar steel company "Huta Warszawa" for $30 million.

I wonder just how quickly Putin will move on his plans to move to the Euro now? What will that frat boy do then?

===
Duma Centre not to vote down Cabinet

The reformist YABLOKO group and Communists will shortly call on the State Duma, parliament's lower house, to vote no confidence in the government. They will certainly not have Centrist support, said Anatoly Aksakov as he was summing up for the media a Coordination Council session of the four Centre groups.

The no confidence call is a blatant pre-election stunt with selfish interests behind it, pointed out Mr. Aksakov, first deputy leader of the People's Deputy group.

Ii will certainly badly undermine Russian social stability if parliament turns to pushing down the Cabinet when it ought to concentrate on next year's federal budget draft, he remarked.

http://newsfromrussia.com/main/2003/06/09/48059.html

January 31
Soros says IMF should pull out of Russia

US financier George Soros said on Sunday the International Monetary Fund should pull out of Russia in view of the current political climate there. Foreign institutions and investors "have lost the ability to influence the direction of events" in Russia, Soros, chairman of the influential Soros Fund Management, told a news conference at the World Economic Forum meeting.

"My personal belief is I do think that with the political developments moving in the wrong direction, the IMF should pull out of Russia," said Soros, asked whether the IMF should withdraw funding.

<sbnip>
On Saturday, the IMF's No.2 official said the fund may delay paying Russia the second US$460 million installment of a US$4.5 billion loan until after presidential elections in March.

<snip>

http://www.cdi.org/russia/johnson/4080.html

[ConcernedCanuk]

7. "Foreign . . .have lost the ability to influence the direction of events"

. . From the article:

"Foreign institutions and investors "have lost the ability to influence the direction of events" in Russia, Soros, chairman of the influential Soros Fund Management, told a news conference at the World Economic Forum meeting."

. :shrug: .

Did I miss something?

Are other nations "obligated" to let foreign institutions and investors "influence the direction of events" ??

THIS is what is EXACTLY wrong with Murikkka, it's the big $$$$ running the country, NOT the voters ( but then this is not news, right? )

And renegging on $$$ promised, well, the BEAR just might get a wee bit peeved?

Russia ain't zactly happy about all that war going on in what is pretty close to their own back yard, all that US military stuff hanging around has probably ( quite rightfully) got them a wee bit concerned ?

Aww what the heck,

More than half the world is already pissed off at the USA, what's one more country, eh ?

[burrowowl]

6. Actually calling them liberals

is a misnomer. They are actually neo-liberals, which are very laissez-faire type Robber Barons.
Although, I think Bu$hCo have put even the Robber Barons to shame.