Hi everyone!
A rift appears to be growing within the United Russia party as a series of party insiders have come out in support of the recent protests. Sergei N. Filippov, United Russia party member and a chief regional executive at the government-controlled Gazprom, spoke out last week at a session of the Vladimir Region legislature saying that corruption is rife within United Russia and must be rooted out and fixed. Another party insider, Olga V. Kryshtanovskaya was instrumental in creating a group on Facebook called "UR for Free Elections" that combined the protest movement's logo -- a white ribbon -- with the United Russia logo. Furthermore, Vladimir V. Semago, United Russia governing council member in Moscow, penned an op-ed piece in an opposition newspaper wherein he confessed his own involvement in political corruption and the personal shame it has caused him.
But while a few days ago it appeared President Dmitri Medvedev was gradually acknowledging the validity of the protesters' calls for change, this week it seems he has taken a big step in the opposite direction. According to an article in today's New York Times, earlier this week Medvedev promoted several Kremlin top-dogs with former ties to the KGB and Prime Minister Putin. Among those promoted was Sergei B. Ivanov, formerly of the KGB, to the position of chief of staff of the presidential administration.
Putin, it appears, has broken his silence of late about the growing protest movement. On Wednesday, he told a group of Russian journalists that "dialogue" must take place with the protesters but that he wasn't certain at this point to what degree or in what format that "dialogue" should take place. In other words, Putin has no intention of deviating from the path that will guarantee him the presidential position come elections in March. Putin and his toadies at the Kremlin -- including President Medvedev -- can pay all the lip service they want to the opposition movement, but as we've seen all too frequently throughout history, talk that doesn't result in action is just that...talk.
I only hope that bloggers like Alexei Navalny--a verifiable hero of the opposition and anyone who believes in the freedom of speech--don't back down or aren't swayed by the Kremlin's false promises to wipe out corruption and genuinely reform. Momentum and recent history are both on the side of the opposition. Russians who believe in a fair and representative form of government should take inspiration from the precedent currently being set by their brothers and sisters in the Arab World. While it still remains to be seen what will come of Tahrir Square, the Egyptian people did successfully (and for the most part peacefully) bring down a despot less than a year ago.
The collective will of the street is just as powerful--if not more so--than the iron grip of a ruling elite.
Ciao.
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