Quadriga
They're something Russia hasn't seen for a long time. Thousands of enraged demonstrators took to the streets of the big cities. Outspoken protest against voter fraud in last weekend's parliamentary elections and the "Putin system," as they call it. In Moscow alone, more than 6000 people gathered for a major demonstration asserting that the elections were a farce. Authorities responded with a heavy hand. Hundreds of demonstrators were arrested.
Despite the allegedly widespread electoral violations, the election outcome was still a big setback for Vladimir Putin's "United Russia" party. It lost its two-thirds majority in the Duma, falling from a 64.3 percent share of the vote in 2007 to just 49.7 percent. Putin's supporters are shocked at the damage to his image and prestige. They fear the actual balance of power could shift even further against them. President Dmitri Medvedev has called the election "democracy in action," but independent monitors have documented grave violations of procedures and manipulation of vote counting. In some districts, ballots that were cast outnumbered registered voters, always tipping the majority in favor of "United Russia."
The international reaction is likewise not to the prime minister's liking. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) says the vote was manipulated and the United States has called for an investigation. Putin may have recognized that his plans to switch seats with president Medvedev does not necessarily reflect the will of the people and that the protests should be taken seriously. For the time after the presidential election in March he has promised changes in the country's power apparatus, because he has to be "regarded as an independent politician," his spokesman has said. Putin may have to work harder on that than he expected, because the first cracks his system of power have been exposed. Are the days of Putin's "directed democracy" numbered?
What do you think? Rigged Elections - Are Russian Voters Fed Up?
Email us at Quadriga@dw-world.de
Our guests:
Sergei Sumlenny – After studying journalism at Moscow University Sumlenny first worked as producer in the ARD Moscow bureau, then for business TV network RBC TV, becoming chief editor of the “World Business” newscast. In 2005 he came to Germany as a fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, taking a doctorate in political science. Today he is the Germany correspondent of the business journal “Expert.” His book “Nemetskaya System” (The German System), which probes the social and economic mechanisms in German society, was published in 2010.
Alexander Rahr - After completing his studies in history and political science at Munich's Ludwig-Maximilians-University, he became a researcher at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's research institute in Munich and then project manager at the former German Federal Institute for Eastern European and International Studies in Cologne. He was a consultant to the Rand Corporation in Santa Monica, California, sits on the board of Yalta European Strategy (YES), and is a member of the steering committee of the Petersburg Dialogue, a program to promote understanding between German and Russian civil society. He currently heads the Berthold-Beitz Center, a think-tank on Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Central Asia at the German Council on Foreign Relations. He has written two biographies, one on Mikhail Gorbachev in 1986 and one on Vladimir Putin in 2000. His latest books include "Russland gibt Gas" (Accelerating Russia) in 2008, "Putin nach Putin" (Putin after Putin) in 2009 and "Der kalte Freund. Warum wir Russland brauchen” (The Cold Friend. Why We Need Russia) in 2011.
Gesine Dornblueth – Dornblueth studied journalism and Slavic languages in Hamburg and earned her doctorate in the latter. Since 1992 she has been an active journalist, reporting from Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijian, Moldova and the Balkans for German Radio, Deutsche Welle and all Germany’s public broadcasters. Her professional focus is on regional conflicts, democratization, human rights and everyday life.