Pass the Parcel

Russia is a democratic country these days - in the sense that there are 'free and fair' elections periodically.

But the body politic of the country tells a different story - one where Russia's democratic institutions are under the control of powerful undemocratic forces - which smack of smoke-filled rooms and dubious private deals.

Take the issue of who will stand for President on behalf of the United Russia Party - the largest in the Russian Duma or Parliament - and therefore the party of government.

Which it has been for the past 20 years - since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Step forward Valdimir Putin - Russia's current Prime Minister - who was previously Russia's President, but stood down four years ago - because the country's constitution says that a President can only serve for two consecutive terms.

So Vlad steps down and nominates his pal Dimitry Medvedev as President - shadows Dimitry for four years as Prime Minister - then Dimitry announces that he's standing down and is nominating Vlad to become President again in 2012.

Now the Russian people will almost certainly elect Vlad for a third term as President - and possibly fourth.

But that doesn't mean that this game of 'pass the parcel' is democratic in any real sense - it's just the apparatchiks in the United Russia party manipulating the system to their own benefit.

And before anyone in the UK gets too carried away - it's not a million miles away from what happened inside the Labour party in 2007 - when Gordon Brown 'inherited' the Labour leadership and subsequently the job of Prime Minister from Tony Blair.

The big difference between the UK and Russia though - is that we have a free speech and a free press - whereas in Russia if you cause trouble for the establishment - your  health and safety is very much at risk.

Investigative journalists have been murdered for uncovering political wrongdoing - critical foreign journalists are simply banned from the country.

And Russian exiles like Alexander Lebedev are poisoned to death with radioactive polonium - pour encourager les autres - as they say.

Now that may be what passes for democracy in Russia - but it certainly lacks key elements of a free country - which include freedom of speech, the rule of law and the right not to be victimised (or killed) for criticising the ruling elite.

Popular posts from this blog

SNP - Conspiracy of Silence

LGB Rights - Hijacked By Intolerant Zealots!