Russia: Other Points of View

MEDVEDEV'S THAW HITS AT RUSSIA'S LACK OF THE RULE OF LAW

COMMENTARY

 by Gordon Hahn

I have been arguing for some 20 months now that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev would begin a political thaw and gradually all power will be transferred to him from Premier and former president Vladimir Putin, who would give it up willingly or not.  I have been arguing for a long time as well that Medvedev's thaw - a second 'perestroika' of sorts - has already begun.  A Medvedian glasnost, minor political reforms, an ambitious privatization program set for next year, and reform of the penal system have all substantiated the claim.

Now Medvedev has targeted one of the most corrupt institutions in Russian government - the Ministry of Internal Affairs.  This decision to target the MVD - the first major institutional reform project of his presidency - is consistent with the logic of implementing great reforms. Medvedev's decision could impart greater impetus to his economic modernization and political thaw plans by removing a key institutional barrier to change and the rule of law.  Just as the CPSU was the main obstacle blocking Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev's perestroika, the MVD is most likely the main obstacle to reform in today's Russia, with the possible exceptions of the FSB and the GRU (Main Administration for Intelligence or military intelligence).

RUSSIAN MODERNIZATION, CORRUPTION, AND THE MEDIA

REPRINTS

The Moscow Times

by William Dunkerley

President Dmitry Medvedev should start his modernization program by taking a hard look at the sorrowful state of the media in the country. Russia’s media are awash in a corrupt culture of paid-for news stories — propaganda masquerading as news. Few news outlets are free to tell the whole truth. Instead, they are subjugated by those who put money into the loss-making media companies in return for an opportunity to color the news in their own favor. They constitute a pluralistic but conscripted press, hardly a free press.

Articles are paid for not only by businesspeople, but by mayors, governors and natural resource monopolies controlled by the state. The government is clearly a big part of the problem.

With little free press, it is difficult for the electorate to make informed choices during elections, and the people are deprived of the aid of a Fourth Estate in exercising vigilance over their government.

RUSSIAN FEDERATION WEEKLY SITREP

by Patrick Armstrong

Medvedev Speech. Last week Medvedev gave the annual Presidential address to Parliament. (Russ) (Eng). The principle theme was “modernisation”: “Today we are talking about modernisation – this is the essential aspect of my Address today – about our desire to be modern.” His definition: “A truly modern society is the one that seeks constant renewal, continuous evolutionary transformation of social practices, democratic institutions, visions of the future, assessments of the present, the one engaged in gradual but irreversible changes in technological, economic and cultural spheres, the steady improvement of the quality of life.” He understands that this involves a major psychic change: “Instead of an archaic society in which the leaders think and decide for everyone we will become a society of clever, free and responsible people” and “we ourselves will change too”. These speeches are made annually (the Constitution requires them, Art 84.f) and I am interested that, for practically the first time, the Kommentariat appears to have actually read the speech rather than skimmed it looking for some phrase it can twist into a threat. But old blinders are still on as many commentators spun it as a criticism of Putin, because they never bothered to read Putin’s speeches. Here from Putin’s speech in 2004 (the first I looked at): “We want high living standards and a safe, free and comfortable life. We want a mature democracy and a developed civil society… We are interested in further integration of the Russian economy into the international economy.” What many people cannot imagine is that this is a long-term project carried out by a team. Putin stabilised things; Medvedev is to modernise things. But it’s the same project. The doing of it, is, of course, the problem. It will be neither easy nor short. Nor entirely successful.

MEDVEDEV: POLITICAL DUNCE, DUPE, DECEPTIONIST, OR DEMOCRAT?

COMMENTARY

by Gordon Hahn 

For nearly a decade Russia has been living under a stealth-like soft authoritarianism, not a 'managed democracy', as many persist in calling the regime. Last week's local elections removed the cloaking device from the system's no longer stealth-like dagger.  'You Tube' and various Russian websites exposed efforts to control and falsify the vote, the bulk of which were undertaken by supporters of the authorities' party, United Russia, although not necessarily at the request of Medvedev or Putin.  

This is not to say that the election results were completely falsified.  In some regions, such as in the North Caucasus republics of Adygeya and Karachaevo-Cherkessia, opposition candidates managed to win mayoral elections in the second largest cities in both of those republics.  However, on the whole and especially in the important city council vote in Moscow, the elections were a real abomination.  Hence, even Russia's 'managed opposition' perceived the demise of Russia's hitherto virtual democracy. 

October 11's elections exposed President Dmitry Medvedev either negatively as a political dunce, dupe, or deceptionist - or more positively as a skillful reformer maneuvering in an authoritarian-friendly environment.  Which conclusion you come to depends on what your interpretation of the politics surrounding the elections is.  Which one is right will be borne out by Medvedev's (and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's) future actions.  

MEDVEDEV TACKLES CORRUPTION

Sberbank Staff Embezzle $180 Million (USD) 

By Anatoly Medetsky

The St. Petersburg Times

MOSCOW - A group of Sberbank employees has defrauded the company of more than $180 million, which was issued in fraudulent loans from a Moscow branch, the Interior Ministry said Tuesday.

In another high-profile bust, the ministry announced that it had uncovered corruption in the Moscow city government's construction committee - a success attributed to a special unit created on the orders of President Dmitry Medvedev.

Both announcements were made at a news conference held by the ministry's economic crimes department, which later released a summary of these and other crimes it said were uncovered amid the recent economic turmoil.

It was not immediately clear why the ministry chose to release the details all at once.

Sberbank said it had uncovered and reported the theft in March, and a City Hall spokesman said no officials had been arrested for crimes described by the ministry, describing the report as "slander."

RUSSIAN FEDERATION WEEKLY SITREP

by Patrick Armstrong

Respect and influence. Two centuries ago John Jay wrote: “If they [foreign powers] see that our national government is efficient and well administered, our trade prudently regulated, our militia properly organized and disciplined, our resources and finances discreetly managed, our credit re-established, our people free, contented, and united, they will be much more disposed to cultivate our friendship than provoke our resentment.” True then and true now. A Medvedev interview touches on many of these points: “Just as our foreign policy has a direct impact on living standards here at home, so does our success at home have a direct impact on how others perceive us.” He knows Russia has some distance to go: “So long as others see Russia as a country with an unacceptably high level of corruption we will be treated accordingly.” If you want to know what the Russians think about things, read what they say; not what other people want you to think they said.

Russia's Medvedev sets out anti-corruption drive

by OLEG SHCHEDROV, Reuters, July 2, 2008

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Wednesday he wanted a package of anti-corruption legislation in place by next year, stepping up his campaign against a problem he says threatens national security. One of Medvedev's first steps when he took over as president from his mentor Vladimir Putin in May was to order his officials to draft a strategy for fighting corruption.