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Medvedev: Protests a manifestation of democracy
Published: 08 December, 2011, 18:16
Dmitry Medvedev (RIA Novosti / Dmitry Astakhov)
TAGS: Election, Medvedev, Russia, Protest, Politics, Law, Opposition
Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev has called on people protesting at the result of elections to the State Duma to act legally and stressed that reports of election violations must be investigated thoroughly.
The head of state underlined that under Russian law, protest rallies may only be held in authorized locations.
“As for the situation after the elections, there are people who are really disappointed, and who, in my opinion, are disoriented,” Medvedev said at a joint media conference in Prague after a meeting with his Czech counterpart, Vaclav Klaus.
Medvedev pointed out that there is nothing “supernatural” about the protest rallies that swept through some Russian cities, saying it was “a manifestation of democracy.”
The president underlined, though, that breaking the law and defying orders from the authorities were likely to lead to various excesses, which “is no good.”
“At the same time, I believe that people should have an opportunity to express their opinion. If they want to have their say on elections – it is fine,” he said, as cited by Itar-Tass. What is important, Medvedev underlined, is that views should be expressed “in a correct, calm way,” without causing difficulties for other citizens or creating trouble in Moscow or elsewhere.
“The most important thing now is to calm down and let the new parliament start working,” the Russian president said.
At the same time, all alleged violations during the December 4 vote should be investigated by the Central Election Commission and courts and “appropriate legal verdicts” should be delivered. Medvedev underlined that there are no other investigation procedures and people should bear in mind that it is up to the experts to give their assessment, but not ordinary citizens.
"Nothing extraordinary happened at the elections," the president said. “Obviously, our society is getting more competitive and not only one political force now has an opportunity to bid to rule the country,” he added.
"The result of the elections is not surprising for me. A political structure is coming into existence which really meets the current political preferences of people," Medvedev added.
He admitted that some people might not be pleased with the outcome the elections, but underlined that the results of the poll should be viewed dispassionately and without emotion.
President Medvedev also stated that Russia's electoral system is the country's internal affair. Sometimes evaluations given by foreign partners to Russian elections are “absolutely biased.” Sometimes they attempt “to explain what our electoral system should look like.”
“It is Russia's business what decisions to make and what rules to apply,” Medvedev said.
The president pointed out that all in all, election observers said that the parliamentary vote was well-organized.
Medvedev topped the election list of the United Russia party, which is led by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Compared to the 2007 Duma poll, the party’s vote went down by about 14 per cent. However, it remains the largest political faction in the parliament after it secured slightly under 50 % of votes on Sunday.
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Its good that people stand up and let government know that at list to some degree people will not tolerate obvious fraud about elections, there never have been in history of Russia a fare elections, they are 99% always Falsified. Always.
Even Medvedev confirmed "nothing extraordinary happened in the elections" - We always cheat - thats how we do it. We are very power greedy ego maniacs how need more and more power - we do not becoming presidents to help fellow people, no - we in government to gain only prosperity for our selves - for we are after all ego centered power greedy maniacs who love to lie and cheat and talk and pretend we are wise and smart and that we know better then people how to run this country.
Eventually justice will persevere any way. Nothing impure lives forever - All towers based on lies and deception will crumble at the end - look at history.
Of course protests are a manifestation of democracy, yes they can also be manifestations of other things like gross colonial oppression, like during and following the shootings of their own citizen protesters on bloody Sunday by the British or protests for women’s rights with the suffragettes, or protests for workers rights, in industrial struggle and the formation of labour as a political force or in other democratic countries…. This is not to attack these countries, just to state the facts, that protests are a manifestation of democracy, and that democracy is not some simple level state. Britain is always touted as a democracy, but was it without universal suffrage? Was it a real democracy until education became more widespread and affluence came in the 60s to the wider classes? So how old is British democracy really, is it hundreds of years, for if it was, then it was a democracy for all this time, then it was a democracy with all these deficiencies. So we see the fact that Democracies should be viewed a continuous spectrum, not a single point. Also we should be careful not to assume the path is always positive and progressive. It could be argued that western democracy is past its peak of the 60s and 70s and is now waning into a corporate/financial elite dictatorship, whilst Russia is on the ascendancy, with all its local deficiencies to fix, and armed with the knowledge of how western democracy went badly wrong for their people.
Like people everywhere, these ordinary Russians are protesting corruption. In effect these people are protesting the corruption brought on by post Cold War NATO/EU/US exploitation that has turned Eastern Europe into poverty stricken cesspools picked clean by Western capitalism. No doubt as Americans of the 'Occupy' movement, these Russians can no longer tolerate the new Russian politicians owned by Western interests.....some of whom are United Russia members...But unlike what Hillary Clinton, the NYTimes or Baltic Fascists would have people believe, Putin is still enormously popular as the defender of Russia's people.