Highlights
• Upcoming Russian Parliamentary elections cause unrest in Russia
• Opposition groups claim their rights are violated for a “free and fair” election
• It is likely further protests will be met with repressive tactics by the government
With crucial Parliamentary elections less than one week away, Russia is facing major unrest with opposition movements protesting the undemocratic climate of the upcoming elections. While the pro-Kremlin party, United Russia, is likely to sweep the elections in spite of any opposition gains, the Russian government is making it very clear they will not tolerate any opposition dissent or inroads against President Vladamir Putin. Police have broken up rallies across Russia and are accused of beating and arresting a large number of protestors.
Throughout the last few years, substantial erosion pertaining to democratic freedoms in both politics and governance has occurred. The Russian economy and so-called “freedom of the press” has dissipated as President Putin and his inner cadre effectively consolidated power. At the same time, under Putin’s leadership, Russia has re-emerged on the world stage with an aggressive and sometime bellicose foreign policy with increased economic might. Putin is also credited with restoring Russian national pride and many Russians remain nonchalant about the erosion of democratic rights due to the effect of strong nationalist pride.
The Russian regime has successfully portrayed dissenters as agent provocateurs trying to destroy Russia’s success, often suggesting that foreign states are striving to weaken Russia. This mindset has been used very successfully to suppress dissent. In this current election climate, Russia is starting to resemble the old repressive Soviet regime.
Opposition Groups Grow Bolder
It is ironic that until recently more mainstream opposition movements have been reluctant to adopt confrontational tactics against the established government. To this end, many opposition groups have expressed increasing frustration that their viewpoints failed to strike a chord with the Russian people, many of who seemed happy with the status quo. However, with the government essentially controlling the mainstream media, it is often difficult to get the message out. Opposition groups have long complained that the government has interfered with their rights to convey a political message and accuse them of routine harassment.
Former chess champion Gary Kasparov leads a loosely affiliated opposition coalition, Other Russia and was arrested in a protest melee earlier in the year (Previous Report). Kasprov was subsequently fined and investigated and claims he was harassed for his criticism of the government. Recently, Kasparov was re-arrested and sentenced to a five- day jail term on charges of holding an illegal procession stemming from a march to the Central Election Commission to turn in a letter protesting the alleged misconduct of the election.
The Government Cracks Down
In the most recent protests, leaders of the more conservative opposition group, Union of Right Forces (SPS) were also arrested. Nikita Belykh and Boris Nemtsov are both candidates for the Parliamentary elections, and Nemtsov is also a candidate for the March 2008 Presidential elections. Nemtsov was later released but criticized the regime saying people were forbidden from discussing President Putin. He has also called the United Russia platform all lies. Belykh complained the police detained him before he had even started his speech. He further criticized the government for pursuing totalitarian tactics. He has now openly stated he regrets previous support for President Putin.
SPS only became more confrontational when it became clear that authorities were actively interfering in their campaign efforts. In one of the more disturbing revelations in the Krasnoyarsk region, the local party chief complained that the police seized the party’s campaign newspaper ostensibly because of its negative advertising. A local bank also allegedly refused to process political donations and meeting room facilities have subsequently cancelled contracts with the party.
The Russian government continues to anger the international community by limiting Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) international election monitors. Additionally, the government continues to claim that the OSCE, instigated by the United States, is boycotting the election in order to discredit the election results. The OSCE counters they are unable to acquire visas for their staff but will be sending European MPs as observers.
Outlook
At the present time, it would seem that the Russian government’s clampdown on opposition parties ahead of the upcoming Parliamentary elections is resulting in a backlash. While the mainstream media is not covering the protests and it is unlikely that opposition groups will pull off any major victories in the election, the repressive tactics used by the Russian regime are validating the opposition groups’ claims that Russia is regressing back to an authoritarian system. The Russian government will likely continue to suppress future protests because they believe it will encourage further dissent—a dangerous trend.