It's going to be years and years, before an effective opposition manages to evolve in Russia. The process is one of evolution, it cannot happen by dictat or just appear out of thin air. What we are seeing is that process in action, some want to join together, others want to stand distinct and add numbers. The whole process is in its infancy, but is happening. People are politically awakening to the notion that opposition is not just about saying NO,NO,NO, about protesting, but is about putting forward an alternative credibale strategy with the well being of Russia and Russians at the forefront. I welcome these developoments, as they show that we are moving forward. However, I have to say that this infant opposition is no where close to be able to manage and develop Russia. They simply do not have the capabilites at the moment. In time these capabilities and a maturity will develop, that will offer the electorate a real choice. However, until that point, quite rightly, the people will choose the party that keeps Russia secure,stable and developing. Russia does not need experiments, it doesn't need ill thought out ideas, it doesn't need incompetents farming out the management to the west and being robbed. What Russia needs is security, stability and prosperity. When all is said and done, the only team that we can trust to deliver on this are Medvedev and Putin, and to be honest when I look at reserves, growth, defence, modernization, building, manufacturing base improvements..... Then I see no compelling reason to vote for anyone else, indeed quite the opposite, I am compelled to vote for them and United Russia. Yes there are issues of poverty, of corruption... but I am not of the persuation that wrecking everything and trying to build an opposition, is the priority for Russia. They have to build themselves. If they can't then you have to ask the question, is it because no one relaly wants them, and if so why? Maybe its because they have little to offer that matters!

@Count Cash, fully agree. It has always struck me as an outsider that the opposition has no flare for developing alternative policies. By now, you would think that they would have insights into variety of policy mistakes or difficulties and offer alternatives. It seems to me that they are still trying to implement formula that worked in Russia, and indeed entire post-communist Eastern Europe back in the nineties. The population was in rebellious mood, restless, sick and tired of same old speeches, and poorer by the day. They were convinced that the leadership is stuck and has no ideas. All their faith they put into those who claimed the knowledge of free markets and democracy. Much has changed since. While still wanting better life and more progress, populace is less likely to fall for promises not based on any reality. There are still segments of the urban middle class that feels more deserving, and feel that somehow a new leadership will bring them nirvana. But they are minority. It is very interesting to see how some have started to use President Medvedev's modernization initiative to create a "coalition". Again, these are political chattering classes without any ideas, but have to then attach themselves to whatever issue is out there to bring attention to themselves. The problem is, they still have nothing to say. Even though some embraced the modernization, there is no content to their committment. There is only one thing they will talk about: democracy, reforms, corruption, etc. etc. Tumbling phrases without content, and hoping to have the disatissfaction work in their favor. They have only one goal. Get some power by tapping into whatever discontent there is out there. Once within a grasp of some power, they would like to milk it and get their circle manipulating more power. It will take some time for a genuine opposition to develop.

Where are the real Russian in the four founding fathers of the so-called (rather not yet called) opposition party? I know of one legitimate and respectable opposition party that goes always unmentioned: The Communist Party of Russia, run by genuine Russians.

armen08, I certainly have zero problems with communists and see them totally as a legitmate political viewpoint and party. They don't suit my politics as a whole, but if I could tweak 'a few things' I wouldn't have an issue with it. The problem is that my tweaks, would transform it into something that wasn't really 'pure communism' but something along Chinese lines, but different to that again. So in a nutshell it wouldn't be communism anyways. But this is all my personal view and irrelevent. The points I wanted to make are that the communists are a legitimate organisation, they certainly have security and stability covered. The only issue for me with them is that I don't think a) they can deliver on prosperity b) they have current capability to be an opposition, becase I think they are a little out of practice and c) I don't think they have the support, and I think this is honestly shown in elections. So yes the communists should be considered as a legitimate genuine alternative, but I honestly do not think they have the capacity and capabilities at present to from a credible opposition. And of course I won't vote for them, becuase I don't like their central policies, but that is for me and irrelevent in this discussion.