RU Elections

[timothe]

No, we're a capitalist society.  It's the ones with the money who decide who runs and who is elected.  No financial support, no candidacy.

It's true that the parties decide their candidate without consulting the public.  It is not true that you can buy the presidency.  (As Mitt Romney and Ross Perot have discovered)

[Shadow]

What other parties could there be?

Allright time to repeat the lesson in politics that was given to me in High school. Remeber that I am from a country where in elections at least 15 parties compete, and the government is usually a mix of at least different political directions.

There are 3 main streams in politics, both have 2 subsets, a moderate and a extreme one.

Right wing :
Moderate: Conservative. Campaigns based on keeping the values and ideas of those before us. Progress is not halted, but not fully encouraged as a status-quo it the most favorable situation.

Extreme: Reactionary. Progress has to be stopped, and the society should return to its prior values and rules who were 'better'.

Middle:
Moderate: Liberal. Wishes free expansion of chances, every individual should be able to do what they desire. Progress is encouraged and posessions are the highets goal.

Extreme: Nationalism. Get what you can and do not allow others to get at what is yours.

Usually businessmen support the liberal movement, as it gives the best possibility for expansion of capital.

Left wing:
Moderate: Socialism. Wishes equality in dividing income, the rich should give to the poor so that together the society is more equal and stronger.

Extreme: Communism. All should be equal and will be controlled not to become less equal.

Now look at Russia, and you will see that the current political power is conservative, with a reactionary influence.
They opt at Russia being the strong country 'as it was before', and hint at going back to a leadership that is less democratic.

In the U.S. currently the leaders are conservative, in a pure form. Strong attachment to religion and 'we are' mentality.

Some interesting facts:
While fascism is called out as extreme right, in reality it is extreme middle. However as the middle stream combines easier with the right win as with the left wing, it is usually recruiting from the right wing, thus feeding the misconception. When nationalism combines with left wing ideas it has shown to be much more strong and dangerous.

Environmental parties as usually socialist, as they desire the rich to give up some posessions in order to further nature.

Muslim countries that wish to revert to the sharia are reactionary in nature. That is why the more progressive muslim countries can work together easily with governments that are conservative in nature.

The names of political parties and movements are often misleading. When checked against their viewpoints, both the Republicans and the Democrats would be in the right wing area and a Dutch liberal would be seen as a socialist compared to their US counterparts.

[wxman]

One can name many parties. Socialists, republicans, democrats, etc, but in reality, one can fall only into one of  2 categories. Liberal or conservative. The degree of which you are, is based on your beliefs. A socialist is just further left of center, but still a liberal. A nationalist is just further right of center, but still a conservative. We like to place ourselves in a particular party because they more closely prophesise our beliefs, but in the end we are either liberal or conservative. Of course the definition of liberal or conservative will be different from person to person, based on their beliefs. Bush calls himself a Republican, but most in his own party would call him a Rino, (Republican in name only) and would more likely call him a democrat.

[Shadow]

One can name many parties. Socialists, republicans, democrats, etc, but in reality, one can fall only into one of  2 categories. Liberal or conservative.

Are communists liberal or conservative ? 

[BC]

In any case, the results appear as though they are being accepted by the general populace.

No upheavals, no massive riots or other actions seen previously in UA.

I see a lot of comments above about media control, but in one way or other even western countries have their media czars that wield their resources in one direction or the other.

A free press is one thing, a fair and impartial press is a totally different ballgame, IMHO practically extinct..  Too much 'spin' and too little fact.

[Misha]

In any case, the results appear as though they are being accepted by the general populace.

No upheavals, no massive riots or other actions seen previously in UA.

It is easy to forget that Putin did face massive public demonstrations a few years ago. In 2005, he pushed through some reforms that replaced a lot of benefits that seniors and others received such as free transportation and the lake which was to be replaced by cash payouts (that was to be paid by the regions). These reforms upset pensioners who took to the streets. Putin eventually backed down.

In many ways, a leader that was elected in a Potemkin election is more at risk than a fairly elected leader. If ever there is a crisis, the population cannot trust that there will be fair elections the next time around and when all the other avenues of dissent have been eliminated, then the only outlet is to take to the streets.

[55North]

How to pronoun Medvedev.
 
http://youtube.com/watch?v=dLfBtPlkyng

[BC]

In many ways, a leader that was elected in a Potemkin election is more at risk than a fairly elected leader. If ever there is a crisis, the population cannot trust that there will be fair elections the next time around and when all the other avenues of dissent have been eliminated, then the only outlet is to take to the streets.

This is called the 'will of the people', not USA, not EU but the will of folks in RU.

They will rise when it is time. Obviously, now is not the time.

Those that criticize should read and understand their own Constitution.

[Phil dAmore]

It appears that at least some Russians were less than satisfied with their choices for president and let it be known on their ballots:

http://englishrussia.com/?p=1800#more-1800

Here's something that hasn't been reported as of yet:  The day after the 'election', prices for just about everything from potatoes to kitty litter shot up around 20%.

[Shadow]

Here's something that hasn't been reported as of yet:  The day after the 'election', prices for just about everything from potatoes to kitty litter shot up around 20%.

And would that be caused by the government ?

[Phil dAmore]

And would that be caused by the government ?

About a month or so ago the government instituted price controls on basic foodstuffs, particularly dairy products.  Greater economic minds than mine opined that it was a means to mask the true rate of inflation which is approaching double digits.

Prices generally rise slowly.  But this time overnight everything shot up.

Is there an actual connection?  I don't know.  But it seems odd.

[Misha]

About a month or so ago the government instituted price controls on basic foodstuffs, particularly dairy products.  Greater economic minds than mine opined that it was a means to mask the true rate of inflation which is approaching double digits.

Prices generally rise slowly.  But this time overnight everything shot up.

Is there an actual connection?  I don't know.  But it seems odd.

There likely is. The distributors and the sellers agreed to keep prices down until the election, and now they are simply catching up to where the prices would have been under "normal" circumstances.

[myrddin]

http://englishrussia.com/?p=1800#more-1800

One of those was for Cthulu.  I thought he only ran in the US

"Cthulu for President!  Why settle for the lesser evil?"

[mendeleyev]

The 65% is suspicious, it was probably higher in a clearly orchestrated election.  However Mr Putin received a 65% turnout in his last elections and I'm guessing that election officials felt if risky to ruffle the feathers of the outgoing President/incoming powerful Prime Minister to give Medvedev a higher percentage.

I covered the "Orange Revolution" from Moscow where in late 2004/early 2005 the Ukrianian government had set up elections polling places all over Russia, obviously hoping that the vote of Ukrainian passport holders inside Russia would help the pro-Russian government in Kyiv at the time.

Crimea is a self-ruling semi-autonomous republic inside the borders of Ukraine, the official language is Russian and the political ruling leaders are very pro-Russian.  So it stands to reason that since many of the people all over Crimea also hold Russian passports, they were given the opportunity to vote.  The "treaty" ceding Crimea to Ukraine has a future expiration date and that will likely be a hot issue between Russia and Ukraine for awhile.  Russia covets those water ports for military and strategic mineral reasons.

I'll post a couple of photos.  This first one is not an advertisement, it is an official street sign which the Kremlin ordered posted prominently in all regions/cities.  It says, "March 2 vote for Medvedev the new President."  Kind of subtle, huh?  You could find this sign on streets, in the underground Metros across the country and just about any other public place. 

The second photo shows two billboards.  The one on top proclaims that it (the election) will be fair.  The sign on the bottom is not so optimistic, promising that "it will be bananas but we'll get what we want (deserve)."

Photo three:  For me personally having been somewhat of a Russian watcher since the 1970's, it's intriguing that in all the years of "civilized" Russia, for the first time in history Russia now has a President of Jewish ethnicity.  This is in a land which has not treated Jews fairly very often so the unquestioned allegiance to Mr Putin's chosen successor is even more fascinating.

Photo four:  Mr Medvedev will obviously seek a balance between his own personal heritage and the nation's status as leader of the world's Orthodox faithful as almost 75% of all Orthodox believers in the world come under the Russian Patriarch.  Former Tsars and leaders built Orthodox churches to their own legacies and Mr Putin did much to restore some of the property formerly stolen by past regimes to the church.

And the reality:  The Duma has already been given the task of transferring power over the military, foreign policy, economic policy, the police and state security services over to the office of Prime Minister.  Of course Mr Medvedev's first official act as President was to receive the resignation of the current PM and simultaneously 
appoint Mr Putin as the next Prime Minister of Russia.  They've shuffled the deck and come up with the same hand they held before.


Finally, here is more information on the reasons for the very high turnout. I've highlighted various references to the 65% (this article was written in Feb):

Friday, February 22, 2008. Issue 3848. Page 1.
Voters Pressured to Choose Medvedev
By Francesca Mereu
Staff Writer

The Kremlin didn't need to lift a finger this time.

Governors know that they need the support of the likely next president, Dmitry Medvedev, to keep their jobs, and they are working hard to get out the vote for him on March 2, a senior election official said.

"What's the best way to show the next president that you love him? In this election the answer is to guarantee him a good turnout so that Medvedev becomes Russia's legitimate president in everyone's eyes," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of fear of reprisal.

The official's account was backed up by doctors, professors and businessmen who said they had been ordered to vote and increase turnout.

Representatives of several governors' offices flatly denied trying to curry favor with the Kremlin.

Ahead of the State Duma elections in December, the Kremlin and United Russia ordered governors to ensure high turnouts, said the election official and other people familiar with the situation. But this time the initiative appears to have come from the governors themselves.

"They didn't wait for orders to come from above," the official said.

The president holds the power to appoint and dismiss governors after Putin ditched gubernatorial elections in 2004, ostensibly as a way to strengthen the state. With their future in the Kremlin's hands, governors and their administrations are eager to show Medvedev their loyalty.

"Most governors have an agreement with Putin but not with Medvedev. Now they are working hard to build it," the official said.

After the governors started working on turnout, the Kremlin asked them to aim for at least 65 percent, the official said. If turnout is low, election officials are ready to stuff ballot boxes with absentee ballots, the official said.

A Kremlin spokesman had no immediate comment Thursday. The Kremlin has denied similar claims about the Duma elections.

The 65 percent target seems attainable after average turnout for the Duma elections reached 63 percent. Recent nationwide surveys, however, indicate that only 54 percent of voters intend to cast their ballots on March 2. In practical terms, that means about 40 percent of voters will actually vote, the election official said.

With opposition candidates prevented from running and Medvedev's victory all but a foregone conclusion, the Kremlin faces the specter of low turnout because of voter apathy. High turnout would especially help legitimize the vote after international observers decided to skip the election following Moscow-ordered restrictions that they said would severely hamper their work.

To reach 65 percent, regional officials have turned for help to state hospitals, universities and big and medium-size factories.

Large factories have been asked to organize polling stations on their premises and demand that their workers get absentee ballots to vote there, the election official said. This way employers can check whether the workers voted. Some employers have asked workers to show them their absentee ballots, the official said.

Employers are following orders in order to avoid trouble with the authorities. The owner of a factory outside Moscow said he had refused to help United Russia in the Duma elections and had subsequently been forced to pay a large fine after surprise tax and fire inspections in January uncovered alleged violations.

"Only my connections have helped me keep my business. They told me to keep quiet this time and to do what they [the authorities] want," he said.

"I had to ask my workers to go and vote," he said.

A doctor at a large Moscow hospital said she and the hospital's other 2,500 workers had been asked to get absentee ballots to vote at the hospital. The hospital's chief doctor, she said, had told the personnel that "it was important for the hospital to show a good turnout if it wanted to get funds from the state."

Election officials organize polling stations at hospitals on election day to allow patients to vote. Under the law, hospital workers can also vote at the polling stations if they file a simple written request.

A dean at a private Moscow university said he had received a letter from a senior Moscow official asking that he attend a meeting "to prepare for the presidential election." About 20 officials from various Moscow universities attended the meeting, he said.

"They told us that they had been asked to provide a high turnout. They said that if we performed well, we would be rewarded," he said.

The dean said the Moscow official emphasized that the Kremlin was upset that student turnout in the Duma elections had been around 25 percent in the city.  University officials were told to demand that their students obtain absentee ballots and vote at university polling stations.

The dean said state universities would follow the orders to avoid funding cuts, while private schools wanted to avoid the prospect of being harassed by tax and fire inspectors.

Even low-ranking bureaucrats have an interest in getting out the vote because they are likely to lose their jobs if the Kremlin fires the governor.  "New governor, new people. Everyone is working for his own future," the official said.

There is also a financial incentive. Moscow district heads and election officials who helped United Russia in the Duma elections received cash bonuses, the official said.

Regional administrations denied that governors wanted a high turnout to impress Medvedev.  "Our governor was confirmed six months ago. He doesn't need to demonstrate anything to the new president," said Alexei Khastrikin, a spokesman for Bryansk Governor Nikolai Denin.

"On our regional television channel you see more of Zhirinovsky and Zyuganov than Medvedev," he added. The three candidates running against Medvedev are Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov, Liberal Democratic Party leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky and Andrei Bogdanov, an independent.

Dagestani leader Mukhu Aliyev is not afraid of losing his job over a low turnout, said his spokesman, Abutalib Mamayev.  "We had a 91 percent turnout [in the Duma elections]," he said. "People love Putin and love Medvedev, and I'm sure that the turnout will be the same this time."

In Moscow, election officials are prepared to stuff ballot boxes with absentee ballots if turnout does not reach 65 percent, the election official said.  In previous elections, the official said, voters were packed into buses and ferried around to polling stations to vote "as many times as needed."

"If I have 30 people, I could take them to 10 polling stations and I have 300 more votes for the city," the official said.  The official said Moscow district heads would have a good idea of their turnout figures by 4 p.m. on election day, since most people vote between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. If the turnout is low, they could then call in the buses.

Authorities are also keeping an eye on people likely to vote against Medvedev, the official said. In Moscow, for example, authorities are not encouraging disgruntled residents of apartment buildings whose courtyards are being exploited by city developers to vote.

"They know that people like that will vote against Medvedev. Who needs that?" the official said.

[55North]

On polling day in the North Caucasus....
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2008/03/03/011.html

Results...
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2008/03/04/011.html

Analysis...
How a declared 92.3 % was in reality 3.5%.
http://eng.kavkaz.memo.ru/newstext/engnews/id/1208884.html

Further results analysis...
http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2008/03/6d7990a4-5217-4b82-b685-3ec7435ed2bf.html

[mendeleyev]

North, thanks for the links.  Excellent info.

[BC]

Although 'just' primaries:

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/03/17/many_voting_for_clinton_to_boost_gop/

For a party that loves to hate the Clintons, Republican voters have cast an awful lot of ballots lately for Senator Hillary Clinton: About 100,000 GOP loyalists voted for her in Ohio, 119,000 in Texas, and about 38,000 in Mississippi, exit polls show.
more stories like this

A sudden change of heart? Hardly.

Since Senator John McCain effectively sewed up the GOP nomination last month, Republicans have begun participating in Democratic primaries specifically to vote for Clinton, a tactic that some voters and local Republican activists think will help their party in November. With every delegate important in the tight Democratic race, this trend could help shape the outcome if it continues in the remaining Democratic primaries open to all voters.

Spurred by conservative talk radio, GOP voters who say they would never back Clinton in a general election are voting for her now for strategic reasons: Some want to prolong her bitter nomination battle with Barack Obama, others believe she would be easier to beat than Obama in the fall, or they simply want to register objections to Obama.

If true, I'd categorize such as a media driven bag of dirty tricks.

Just adding a little contrast.

[Jet]

Although 'just' primaries:

Spurred by conservative talk radio, GOP voters who say they would never back Clinton in a general election are voting for her now for strategic reasons

If true, I'd categorize such as a media driven bag of dirty tricks.

Just adding a little contrast.

From what I've heard on talk radio, it is true. Conversely, the last of the big nationally syndicated liberal hosts (Randi Rhoads), once it was mathematically impossible for Hillary to win the nomination without the super-delegates, has gone on a serious anti Clinton campaign stating "I kept my mouth shut and let you all fall in love with her, but now I just can't let you marry the woman". It looks like both sides feel that Obama is the only formidable opponent for McCain.