Russian Presidential Candidates

[mendeleyev]

Our next candidate is Vladimir Putin. We'll cover some background information but first today's news from the Mendeleyev Journal:

Give Prime Minister Vladimir Putin credit for keeping his word regarding the installation of web cam monitors at polling stations in time for Russia’s March 4 presidential elections. Many "naysayers" swore that his pledge was just another empty promise. Well, the web cams are being installed across Russia at a cost of billions of rubles. Mr. Putin had made the promise of web cameras during his over 4 hour long broadcast forum to the nation in mid-December.





Today Minister of Communications and Press Igor Shchegolyov gave a press tour of the new technology in the city of Veliky Novgorod. With cameras rolling as the new technology was demonstrated, Shchegolyov likened the new technology to the same principles of Veche democracy. It was in this city that the ancient tradition of “Veche democracy” began in the 1100s where voting was done in plain view for everyone to see. That practiced ended when Ivan III conquered the area in 1478.


Veliky is part of the Novgorod region and Mr. Putin’s United Russia party didn’t fare so well here in the latest Duma election, falling almost 50% from the 2008 vote totals. Citizens across Russia have complained about allegations of ballot box stuffing and other voting irregularities, which have hurt the public image of United Russia and Prime Minister Putin.


Russia has over 93,000 polling stations and Mr. Putin ordered each one to be equipped with the web cam technology. A government website will be launched sometime in February giving citizens the opportunity to observe voting as it happens across this vast country. Many of the polling stations lack internet access so it is being installed as well.

Mr. Putin seen here in the December 2011 elections for the Russian Duma.
Each station will have two cameras with one always trained on the balloting areas while the other will stream panoramic views of the polling station. Officials say this will cut down on the threat of roving groups who travel from polling station to polling station.


Meanwhile the independent coalition group known as the League of Voters (ЛИГА ИЗБИРАТЕЛЕЙ) is seeking volunteer election monitors for the March election. Training will be provided and volunteer monitors must be Russian citizens who currently reside in Russia. If interested, follow this link for an online registration application.

[mendeleyev]

We continue our focus on presidential candidate Vladimir Putin.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's recent article in the pro-Kremlin newspaper Izvestia has generated a great deal of interest not only in Russia but in international circles as well. Mistakenly billed by some as a focus on immigration and Russia's ethnic make-up, the article is aimed at reclaiming middle class voters who have taken part in the recent political protests across Russia.

Writing in the Russia Profile, Andrew Roth noted that "Prime Minister Vladimir Putin put forth the most comprehensive political platform of his presidential bid in an article he released in the Russian daily Izvestia on Monday. While rehashing familiar rhetoric about stability in Russia and the possibility of a collapse during his early days in office, Putin also squarely set his gaze on middle class voters, tens of thousands of whom protested against vote fraud this December. But experts doubt that Putin’s article, released in a pro-Kremlin newspaper, would sway many protest voters, and current polls indicate a humiliating runoff vote for president this March."

Meanwhile The Economist published an excellent analysis of the article beginning with the historic background of the title Mr. Putin chose for the publication:

“Russia is collecting itself”, is a quotation from a dispatch in 1856 from Alexander Gorchakov, the then foreign minister, to Russian embassies in Europe after the Crimean war. “Russia is reproached for isolating itself…They say Russia is angry. Russia is not angry. It is collecting itself,” the foreign minister wrote. The Crimean war led to big domestic reforms, including the abolition of serfdom. Mr Putin’s manifesto offers no such radical plans, but calls rather for consolidation in the face of turbulence.

Given the length of the article the Mendeleyev Journal is publishing the full piece here.

[mendeleyev]

From the Mendeleyev Journal:

Election law in the Russian Federation prohibits presidential candidates from using mass media in campaigns until 30 days prior to the election scheduled on March 4. Parties can carry out certain campaign activities earlier in the regions but candidates are restricted from using mass media until February 4, this Saturday, so what was Prime Minister Putin doing over the past several weeks in writing three major articles for Russian newspapers?

Apparently Mr. Putin has nothing to worry about as the Central Election Commission has ruled that even while the Prime Minister used the widely read articles to introduce and articulate his campaign platform, somehow the publication didn't violate election law. The commission ruled that the articles informed voters about Putin's activities and planned policies, and therefore contributed to the well being of the country.

As you can imagine, voters understand the ruling and many aren't too happy about it.



The Central Election Commission may not "get it" but most citizens do. Independent elections watchdog Golos said that the Putin articles broke electoral law because they elaborated on his campaign platform on the major topics of  social policies, nationalist & immigration and economic policy for his third term. The articles received nationwide coverage in Izvestia, Nezavisimaya Gazeta and Vedomosti.



(United Russia campaign worker (in blue, his vest spells "Vladimir Putin") hands out Putin newspapers in the city of Yekaterinburg early this year.)

Elections Commission members defend the publications, member Maia Grishina told reporters that Putin was merely "giving his position on current and prospective issues." Yes, he certainly was, Ms. Grishina. The only problem is that his opposition candidates were not allowed the same luxury. Fact is, the opposition won't receive an equal amount of free media at any time in the campaign, even after the 4th of February.

Voters seem to "get it." The Central Elections Commission and Mr. Putin appear to pretend that they don't. That is seldom a wise election strategy.

[BC]

From the Mendeleyev Journal:

Election law in the Russian Federation prohibits presidential candidates from using mass media in campaigns until 30 days prior to the election scheduled on March 4. Parties can carry out certain campaign activities earlier in the regions but candidates are restricted from using mass media until February 4, this Saturday, so what was Prime Minister Putin doing over the past several weeks in writing three major articles for Russian newspapers?

Apparently Mr. Putin has nothing to worry about as the Central Election Commission has ruled that even while the Prime Minister used the widely read articles to introduce and articulate his campaign platform, somehow the publication didn't violate election law. The commission ruled that the articles informed voters about Putin's activities and planned policies, and therefore contributed to the well being of the country.

As you can imagine, voters understand the ruling and many aren't too happy about it.



The Central Election Commission may not "get it" but most citizens do. Independent elections watchdog Golos said that the Putin articles broke electoral law because they elaborated on his campaign platform on the major topics of  social policies, nationalist & immigration and economic policy for his third term. The articles received nationwide coverage in Izvestia, Nezavisimaya Gazeta and Vedomosti.



(United Russia campaign worker (in blue, his vest spells "Vladimir Putin") hands out Putin newspapers in the city of Yekaterinburg early this year.)

Elections Commission members defend the publications, member Maia Grishina told reporters that Putin was merely "giving his position on current and prospective issues." Yes, he certainly was, Ms. Grishina. The only problem is that his opposition candidates were not allowed the same luxury. Fact is, the opposition won't receive an equal amount of free media at any time in the campaign, even after the 4th of February.

Voters seem to "get it." The Central Elections Commission and Mr. Putin appear to pretend that they don't. That is seldom a wise election strategy.

Mendy,

sounds like this is the 'prerogative of the incumbent'

In many ways used similarly in the west.  The US President can travel on Air Force One to make a political impression, or use the Stat of the Union Address as a political platform for re-election.

I see little wrong with that.

[mendeleyev]

True, yet as you know in Russia the incumbent can openly flaunt the rules. Were an Obama or Bush to schedule a major 4 hour media event on TV/Radio and then a few weeks follow with laying out a platform for the future in national print media--at government expense--while the opposition had to wait in order to play by the rules, that wouldn't be as likely to happen.

[tfcrew]

Tens of thousands rally against Putin's rule LYNN BERRY, Associated Press  Updated 12:28 p.m., Saturday, February 4, 2012 MOSCOW (AP) — Their frozen breath rising in the brutally frigid air, tens of thousands of protesters marched through downtown Moscow on Saturday to keep up the pressure on Prime Minister Vladimir Putin one month before a presidential election that could extend his rule for six more years.

Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Tens-of-thousands-rally-against-Putin-s-rule-3014954.php#ixzz1lRF7yM9H

 

[Olly]

"Russians defy bitter cold to protests Putin’s rule" 4th Feb http://www.firstpost.com/world/russians-defy-bitter-cold-to-protests-putins-rule-203799.html

[mendeleyev]

From the Mendeleyev Journal:
In case you haven't noticed, there will be a presidential election in Russia on 4 March. Millions of Russians will go to polling stations and choose a leader for the next six years.
Naturally you'd think that there would be debates going on now. Well...there is...sort of. You see, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin plans to return to the presidency but it just so happens that his schedule has him all tied up right now. His office says that he is too busy running the government to engage in debates. Besides, he is "fully informed" and apparently doesn't need to debate according to Political scientist Natalia Narochnitskaya who is sitting in for Mr. Putin on several televised debates.
We get it. Mr. Putin is a busy man and can't be bothered with sharing his views personally with the Russian people right now. He has more important things to do...like hunting Siberian tigers, diving for treasure carefully placed where he could find it, holding four hour long "talk show" forums on national TV & Radio (no opposition candidates allowed) and writing long editorials in newspapers weeks before the start of legal campaigning. Ah, guess he did share his views with the populace, didn't he. Just several weeks earlier than the other candidates could legally tell their story.
 
So it is really no surprise that Mr. Putin won't be appearing at any of the presidential debates. Remember, he's already "fully informed" and just too busy right now. Instead of facing voters himself, Mr. Putin has designated spokespersons who are handling the debates for him. We give you this half hour debate on Russia Channel 1, between Vladimir Zhirinovsky the outspoken candidate for the Liberal Democratic Party and Political scientist Natalia Narochnitskaya who is standing in for Mr. Putin and the United Russia Party.

 


 
If Vladimir Zhirinovsky seems a little familiar, he has run several times in the past for president, losing every time but he does attract enough votes to keep his party representation in the Russian Parliament intact. You may remember Zhirinovsky from previous years when in 2008 he physically attacked an opposing candidate after he thought the TV cameras had stopped filming. In another debate he attacked the moderator, saying that the man didn't know how to moderate so he (Zhirinovsky) was taking over the moderators duties during the debate. He has also engaged in fistfights on the floor of parliament.
 
Ah, Russian politics. So much fun.

[possum]

Zhirinovsky deploring the demise of the Russian Troika as the symbol of Russia's greatness while beating the crap out of a donkey. 



"Come on! Let's go! He won't budge! The entire country is standing still!"

[mendeleyev]

Every story has at least two sides and politics is no exception. For those who haven't found it yet, you might benefit from watching Russia Today television. They have two signals in the USA, regular broadcast stations in DC and NYC and impressive network production/broadcast centers both in Moscow and Washington, DC.


Watch live here, 24 hours daily: http://rt.com/on-air/


RT is owned by the Russian government.

[mendeleyev]

Following the campaign trail from Yekaterinburg on the Mendeleyev Journal:

Recently Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has spoken of reversing the massive privatization that took place in Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union. Those events in the 1990s triggered a new economic class of Oligarchs, instant multimillionaires resulting from the control of key industries formerly held by the government.

Some see the Prime Minister's idea as an act of justice - returning to the Russian people the wealth generated from the privatization of the immediate post-Communist era. Others however point to the increasing state control over industry and charge that such wealth merely changes hands from someone not associated with the government to someone with strong ties to the Kremlin.



(Russian presidential candidate Mikhail Prokhorov held a campaign press conference Saturday in Yekaterinburg.)

Campaigning in Yekaterinburg earlier today, presidential candidate Mikhail Prokhorov admitted that while the era of the 90s did result in many inequalities, those industries privatized played an immensely important role in lifting the Russian economy out of depression and help bring about the eventual stabilization of the economy.

Prokhorov warned his audience that reasserting government control would place even more key industries in the control of the government and that actions to wrest control of private companies would likely result in a civil war in Russia.

Using a press conference in Yekaterinburg to speak to Russians across the region, Prokhorov admitted the privatization of the 90's was anything but fair for the average Russian. "Privatization has been unfair, I admit, I myself was involved. However, any revision of privatization usually leads to civil war."

As for the government tactic of isolating Oligarchs one at a time, Prokhorov told listeners that if citizens continue to allow individuals to be taxed and jailed one at a time, eventually the same fate awaits everyone in the country, even those who received free apartments during that era. Many Russians were eventually given title to their state-owned apartment homes during the privatization period.

Prokhorov said that Russians should admit to the inequalities and acknowledge injustice but move forward rather than tear the country apart, "Let's be honest, we (must) say, privatization was unfair. Turn the page, put an end (to it)."

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin told the congress of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs on February 9 that government had a responsibility to force businesses to "close" the issue. Many Russian business leaders fear that companies would be forced to pay the government for the privilege of remaining private or the government would take over companies as in the famous Yukos case.



(Presidential candidate Mikhail Prokhorov also met citizens while shopping at a Yekaterinburg market.)

Prokhorov suggested that perhaps a one-time fee could be required to be paid and distributed to citizens. He pointed out however that it was the government responsible for the auctions of the 1990s.

Many Russians however remain skeptical about Prokhorov, saying he is a Kremlin stooge to give the appearance of legitimate election on March 4. The Moscow Times wrote, "His platform was a protester's dream: free and fair elections, political pluralism, economic competition, less red tape, less bureaucracy. He would break up state-run monopolies, boost investment in infrastructure and education and do away with censorship of television."

As reported by Russian Beyond the Headlines, "The large turnout at rallies both for and against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow and other Russian cities has revealed a deep divide in Russian society. The organizers of the protests for fair elections claim that their gatherings attract members of the middle class who are dissatisfied with the powers-that-be and want to make Russia’s political system more democratic."

Prokhoro is ranked by Forbes as Russia's third richest man with a fortune of $18 billion. He owns the New Jersey Nets basketball team in the USA and has said that he would divest the team if elected President.

On February 9 Prokhorov signed a cooperation agreement with the "League of the voters" a new coalition of opposition groups.

[mendeleyev]

For Monday's Mendeleyev Journal:

Will we every know the truth about how many cars participated in Moscow's road rally Sunday afternoon?

Likely not. The official police tally is 150. Organizers claim over 2,000.

At least one side is not being truthful because we have access to over 400 separate car photos from the event and those were taken from a limited area. Already the Russian blog world is filled with photos we don't have so the count was far past 400.

Drivers were asked to decorate their cars with anything white and to display a ribbon. Some drivers did just that and some went further. Some of the signs were funny and some were rude. While we don't feel that government officials deserves rudeness, some of the signs displayed a level of anger and frustration that has not always been seen in Russian voters in the past.



Someone converted this generic "I love you" balloon in to a message of "Putin, I DON'T love you!"

A pro-Putin march had taken place earlier in the day at another Moscow location. The opposition road rally began at 3pm Moscow time.




Rats has become a symbol of the "crooks and thieves" themes against United Russia and PM Putin.

The model of cars ranged from Mercedes to old Ladas. The weather cooperated with only mild snow flurries later in the day and moderate temperatures for this time of year.



Again we were surprised at some of the age groups represented in this rally. Adults over 50 have generally been thought to be solidly in the Putin camp or aligned with the Communist party.




Some supporters of the rally stood on street corners to wave white balloons and bags at drivers.

One playful driver took a direct stab at Mr. Putin by decorating his car with American dollar bills and put a sign in the window saying госдеп  (Russian for USA Department of State). Prime Minister Putin as of late has charged that the USA is paying for these protests.



A few drivers mocked the government and police by taping blue buckets to the top of their cars. Police issue special blue lights to government officials and certain privileged individuals so that they can move quickly past traffic jams while ordinary drives must yield to cars with a blue light.

Drivers in other Russian cities participated as well.

[Gator]

Others however point to the increasing state control over industry and charge that such wealth merely changes hands from someone not associated with the government to someone with strong ties to the Kremlin.

Are the two "someones" that far apart?   How could "someone" ever have finagled himself to such superwealth in the post-Soviet days  and stay there today without having some Kremlin connections? 
 
 

[mendeleyev]

Mr. Putin's first meeting with the Oligarchs in the infancy of his first presidency laid down ground rules that if they paid their taxes and stayed out of politics then they could proceed on their own. Most accepted those rules but the leaders of Yukos didn't--Putin made an example of what would happen to those who disobeyed.

Especially in the past 4 years, but even previously, there has been a widening of the gap between those connected and those who've drifted apart.

The idea of a second Medvedev term, a very genuine prospect, was pushed by certain of the elite who had grown weary of Mr. Putin. It was only at their Volga fishing trip that the "deal" for Medvedev to step aside was set in stone. I don't care who says otherwise--that was the reason for that fishing trip. Remember that during that trip on 17 August, Gorbachev was back in Moscow meeting at a well attended luncheon of Russia's most wealthy business leaders and his speech to them was to argue for a second Medvedev term.

[mendeleyev]

From the Mendeleyev Journal--

(Moscow region, Presidential residence)
Monday, 20 February 2012

The almost unthinkable happened today--Russian President Dmitry Medvedev met with leaders from what the Kremlin calls the "unregistered opposition." That is not only big news in itself but a further signal that the government of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is beginning to take the opposition seriously.



Forget the Moscow police estimate of 150 opposition cars in yesterday's car rally, hundreds of cars were counted and the unregistered opposition is finally earning the right to be heard.

There are those Kremlin watchers who will say that this is nothing more than an attempt to coop and pacify a group of unorganized protesters. The reality however is that the new umbrella organization called the League of Voters has begun to succeed in uniting the opposition into a single cohesive voice.

Many will say that Prime Minister Putin will use this meeting as a way to pacify the protest leaders until after the March 4 presidential election has taken place. That is his style and often it is successful. Regardless, we are seeing a sense of urgency in the Putin camp now; absentee voting and voting in isolated regions began late last week the Putin campaign feels the need to lessen the heat on Mr. Putin's candidacy.



If anyone has some measure of remaining credibility and the political will to give the opposition a voice, it is Medvedev. So today the presidential residence in the Moscow suburb of Gorki played host to the leaders of "the unregistered opposition." Taking part in the meeting were:

- Konstantin Babkin (Party of Action)

- Sergei Baburin (Russian National Union)

- Mikhail Lermontov (For Our Fatherland Party)

- Yury Moskalyov (Path of Truth and Unity)

- Boris Nemtsov, former Deputy Prime Minister (Party of People’s Freedom for Russia without Arbitrariness and Corruption)

- Anatoly Panfilov (The Greens)

- Vladimir Ryzhkov (Republican Party of Russia, PARNAS)

- Gennady Seleznyov (Russia’s Renaissance)

- Sergei Udaltsov (Russian United Labour Front (ROT Front)

- Galina Khavrayeva (For Russia’s Women)

along with Vyacheslav Volodin, President Medvedev's First Deputy Chief of Staff.

What is significant about this meeting is that Mr. Medvedev invited them to participate in the thought process about how to frame Russia's political system in the future. The meeting today was the first known direct high-level contact between the Kremlin and leaders of the opposition  since the wave of protests that began in December immediately following the Duma (parliamentary) elections.



Some of the criticisms of the current system have been harsh and the president acknowledged their frustrations by saying, "Our political system is far from ideal of course, and most of you here criticize it, sometimes in very harsh terms. But at the same time, if we want to change it, it is best to come to some common notions of where we want to take it. I think the time is ripe for this...the time is right now to pursue this work more actively."

The president also told those present that, "It might sound strange, but I think that you here today will likely have some words of support for these proposals. You do not have official registration for your parties yet after all, and so an easing of the registration rules and general liberalization of our political life are no doubt much bigger issues for you than for the political parties that have already long since established themselves in the political firmament."

Some opposition figures were not invited to the meeting, the most noticeable being anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny whose presence has helped drive the opposition forces forward.

Russian language readers may view the President's comments via the First Channel at this video link.

[OlgaH]

What was the most unexpected thing that happened when he took over the metals manufacturer Norilsk?
He was forced to get back into the clothing business.

During Prokhorov time (2001-2008) Norilsk Nickel became the world’s largest producer of nickel and palladium and one of the leading producers of platinum and copper. It also produces various by-products, such as cobalt, chromium, rhodium, silver, gold, iridium, ruthenium, selenium, tellurium and sulfur.

http://www.nornik.ru/en/about/

In 2004 Prokorov was awarded  the Order of Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow by Russian Orthodox Church, in 2006 he was awarded the Order of Friendship for his significant contribution to the growth of Russia’s economic potential, and  in 2011  he was bestowed with the French Legion of Honour for expansion of cultural contacts between France and Russia. 2009-20011 He was a member of the RF President's Commission for Modernisation and Technological Development of Russia's Economy

[OlgaH]

Mikhail Prokhorov Fund contributes hundreds millions to the Russia's culture, education, science, sport and health http://www.prokhorovfund.com/

He said if he becomes the President he will sell all his fortune and give it to the charity in Russia.

His Program regarding Civil Service Reform and the War on Corruption

• Declare public service and private business to be mutually exclusive; require all persons holding public office in the legislative and executive branches of government (excluding local government), to sell their businesses or majority stakes in them;
• Establish strict controls over the earnings and outgoings of persons occupying positions of power as well as those of their family members, and require the Public Prosecutor’s office to immediately initiate verification procedures in the event of documented discrepancies between declared earnings and outgoings;
• Seize property of citizens with court convictions for corruption, as well that of those citizens’ families if the prosecution demonstrated the property to be the result of relatives’ corrupt activities;
• Give citizens the right to private prosecution in all cases where there is suspicion of corruption; provide immunity to any giver of a bribe who agrees to cooperate with an investigation;
• Reduce the privileges of civil servants; monetize benefits, and repeal, as of July 1, 2012, the practice of allocating flats and dachas to officials at all levels service, stop the practice of government officials using police sirens and the blocking of roads to make way for government motorcades;
• Move Russian companies to the EU-wide uniform accounting standards from January 1, 2013; give electronic documents equivalent legal status to those on paper;
• Reduce the purview of bureaucratic administration and prohibit government agencies from requiring citizens to give personal information or other details, the disclosure of which is the responsibility of other government agencies;
• Make all government services relating to the registration of documents and certificates free of charge; abolish government fees and stamp duties on the processing of official documents;
• Establish a system of independent administrative courts to resolve disputes between citizens and public authorities;
• Make mandatory the publication online of all acts and decisions by all government agencies including in regard to Russia's international obligations (except information covered by the Official Secrets Act);
• Improve the state secrecy laws by reducing the amount of information under their purview in order to strengthen the public’s leverage over the actions of state authorities;
  Reduce, by 1 January, 2014, the number of civil servants by up to 30% and provide them with subsequent retraining, at state expense, for work in the real economy.

http://mdp2012.com/program/

[OlgaH]

Traveling still, but will try to profile Alexei Navalny next.

Navalny doesn't participate as a candidate in the election 2012 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_presidential_election,_2012

[mendeleyev]

Navalny doesn't participate as a candidate in the election 2012

Exactly.

He has said all along that he is not running. However his role in the opposition protests however have given him (in spite of his very racist views) a leadership/spokesperson level role in the pending elections. The fact that he was not invited yesterday (Monday) from the meeting of unregistered parties with President Medvedev actually underscores his influence and how much he is feared/loathed by the Putin campaign as a threat to the Putin election effort.

[mendeleyev]

There are 3 men who are not on the ballot but whose influence on the election have been felt since the December Duma elections and protests following that event.

- Grigory Yavlinsky (Григо́рий Алексе́евич Явли́нский) was a prominent liberal economist in the closing years of the Soviet Union. Well known as the author of "500 Days" for a time he led the debates in planning to transition the Soviet Union over to a free market economy before the fall of the Union. He managed to create a political party, Yabloko (Apple party) founded on free market economic ideas.





He ran twice for Russia's presidency, against Boris Yeltsin in 1996 and against Vladimir Putin in 2000. His party failed to cross the 5% threshold in 2003 for the Duma elections, leading many observes to challenge the legitimacy of the results. He had also served as an economic advisor to former Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov.

This year Yavlinsky collected the required number of signatures for a run again for president but the Federal Elections Commission ruled that some of the signatures were not valid and disqualified him from running. Some Russians will never forgive Yavlinsky for suggesting that troops be ordered to fire on democracy protesters in the closing days of the Soviet Union.



- As recently as late November 2011 the Russian press was saying that Алексей Анатольевич Навальный (Alexei Navalny) would be in the running. Navalny had formerly been a Yabloko Party leader until booted out for his radical views on race and immigration. While saying that he might take advantage of President Medvedev's proposed relaxed rules for registering political parties, the wily Navalny hinted that he might form a party but would not pledge to run as it's top candidate.




He has always enjoyed the role of a spoiler and his reputation for uprooting corruption and exposing government contracts awarded to those close to the Kremlin. It was Navalny who first used the term "The Party of Swindlers and Thieves" as United Russia's unofficial popular nickname. He has been enough of a nuiance that police have arrested him several times during the "31" protests which took place on the last day of every month with 31 days. Most recent arrest came after the December 5 Duma election protest.

Navalny has been a popular blogger for many years and is often the target of hackers. At his website http://rospil.info/ he publishes documents that are generally embarrassing to the government. The Moscow Times says that since his account was set up in 2006, the 2,566 posts on Navalny's blog have attracted 66,500 followers with another 193,670 people following him on Twitter. Gazeta.ru ran an online poll in which voters said if he were to run they'd give him 10.5 percent of the vote.

He has been a leader in the post Duma election protests, called "meetings" in Russian. Late last year the FSB (KGB formerly) released sensitive information on his blog http://www.navalny.ru/ and his personal life to Nashi and other pro-Putin youth groups. Just this past week the government announced that investigators were looking into Navalny's bank accounts for suspicious activity.


- Our third candidate on the ballot is Putin family friend but political challenger Алексей Леонидович Кудрин (Alexei Kudrin). Until late last year he was Russia's Finance Minister, widely credited for steering Russia through the global economic crisis. Then on a TV programme with Russia's president, Kudrin challenged Mr. Medvedev. Medvedev asked him to retract his comments and Kudrin responded by saying he'd have to speak with Mr. Putin first. Medvedev promptly fired him and to Kudrin's dismay Putin remained silent for weeks thereafter.





Lately Kudrin has been seen as a possible challenger and while not on the ballot, his standing with Russian business leaders is incredibly high and many believe that in the event of a run-off or a contested election, Kudrin could move to the forefront to represent one of the registered parties.

To bolster his credibility with the opposition leadership, Kudrin has been very vocal in criticisms of Mr. Putin and has been very visible at the opposition rallies.


Photo sources:
Grigori Yavlinsky - Russia Profiles
Alexi Navalny - The Mendeleyev Journal (property of Alexi Navalny)
Alexi Kudrin - Presidential Press Service/The Mendeleyev Journal

[mendeleyev]

Tuesday's Mendeleyev Journal:

Organizers had at first advertised a "silent" protest in which participants would ring the Kremlin's Revolution Plaza area by linking arms and wearing white. The "Big White Circle" would have no signs, no banners, no slogans and no speeches.The estimated number of marchers needed to fill the space was 34,000.

However those plans have been derailed. First, an online attack took down the main website, www.Feb26.ru, that organizers had been using to promote the event. The site had been widely promoted on Tweeter, Facebook and Vkontake but was down on Monday and only back up late Tuesday with limited functionality.

As organizers worked on restoring the website the city of Moscow denied a permit to hold the protest at that location, instead suggesting they hold it at Naberezhnaya Tarasa Shevchenko, a deserted area near the outskirts of the city centre.

Opposition leaders cancelled efforts at obtaining a permit and have called on protesters to come to Moscow's Sunday's Maslenitsa festivities downtown and at 4pm be ready to burn effigies symbolizing an end to "Putin's Political Winter." Burning effigies is a traditional part of a Maslenitsa festival signaling the end of winter.

Meanwhile as shown by this cameraman and reporter (Russian language video), administrators in the city of Lermontov attempted to block out organizers from filing permits for a local protest march:

[mendeleyev]

Tuesday afternoon's Mendeleyev Journal:

Vowing not to allow Russia's opposition to thwart the election of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to the post of president, pro-Putin demonstrators across the country say that stability is more important than personal freedoms. Many of these protesters lived through the time of economic troubles immediately following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Mr. Putin stepped in just prior to the end of Boris Yeltsin's term and was then elected for two terms, serving as President of Russia from 2000-2008. Russia's constitution forbids a candidate from serving more than two consecutive terms so Mr. Putin took on the job of Prime Minister while his close associate of many years, Dmitry Medvedev, stepped into the job as President.

Thousands of persons have gathered across Russia to counter the opposition rallies which sprang up after the contested Duma parliamentary elections in December. Authorities say that as many as 60,000 came out to support Mr. Putin in his home town of St. Petersburg, Russia's second city and ofter termed as Russia's "Northern Capital." However independent sources and crowd photos show that police routinely exaggerate the size of pro-Putin crowds while underestimating the size of opposition protests.

Another pro-Putin rally in Moscow has been approved and organizers say if the projected 200,000 persons come the rally would be the biggest political demonstration in Russia's past two decades. Alexei Anisimov of Mr. Putin’s campaign told reporters that the route would take marchers from Tverskaya Street to Manezh Square near the Kremlin walls, an area that has been denied in opposition permit applications.

Mr. Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov has consistently said that the Prime Minister was too busy with governing the country to take part in election debates with registered opposition candidates, however this week Peskov hinted that the prime minister might find the time to attend the Thursday rally.

Opposition forces argue that many of the pro-Putin public supporters are either paid or forced to appear. In recent weeks allegations have surfaced that some of the paid participants have not received the money promised for attending the Putin rallies. Sources say that the going rate is 500 rubles per person, $16.85 at the current exchange rate, for spending an afternoon standing in the cold and listening to speeches.

$16.85 may not be much money for some, but to a retired pensioner on a limited income, 500 rubles can help provide extra food or medicine. Many Russians have watched YouTube and RUTube videos of state employees and workers from state owned factories bused in from the provinces for the Putin rallies and say that those workers are paid a full day's wages for attending.

[OlgaH]

Students and state employees (like teachers and clerks) are ordered to participate in pro-putins rally. People even don't know what is written and meaning of the words on their posters they are given. Some people are even ashamed to show their posters and they hold them  folded. In the video below some men are holding a poster with "no garages demolishing." They were asked why they have such strange poster, their answer was "why not, Putin also has a garage that can be demolished" People were brought by buses. The meeting started at 14:00 and ended at 14:59. People were taken by buses to the places where they were brought from.

[onus]

[mendeleyev]

Afternoon edition of the Mendeleyev Journal...

They began to arrive in the wee morning hours, bused in from locations all over this part of Russia as Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was determined to have a larger crowd than the recent opposition rallies.

The Moscow Times reported that more than 800 state workers from the faraway Urals region of Sverdlovsk were flown to Moscow for the rally. Arriving from both far and near, it wasn't long before long lines of buses stacked near Luzhniki Stadium where leaders organized them into groups for the day's rally.




Thousands of pro-Putin supporters were bused in early this morning to Moscow.

Although unable to find time away from the job to debate opposition candidates on TV, somehow the Prime Minister was able to breakaway from the job in order to attend the rally. In a fiery speech on the public holiday for honouring men and military veterans, Mr. Putin appealed to Russian nationalists at Luzhniki stadium, telling them that "The battle for Russia continues, the victory will be ours. We will not allow anyone to impose their will on us. We have our own will and this has always helped us be victorious. "We are a victorious nation. This is in our genes. This is in our genetic code."





The tone of the speech wasn't that important to some rally participants, however. One TV station reported on a group of young girls who had attended the rally because they were instructed to do so, but seemed more interested in talking to others around them about coats, scarfs and Justin Timberlake boots.

Security officials at Moscow City Hall said that the Interior Ministry had deployed around 10,000 police for the rally.

Those aligned with the Communist part however have stepped back from both sides of the campaign, focusing instead on their goal of a Communist victory and reintroduction of the Soviet Union using the theme За великую Россию и СССР 2.0! (For a great Russia and the Soviet Union, version 2.0)