PrintMarch 26, 2009
Russia sliding toward tyranny
Something unusual happened a few days ago to Vladmir Putin's party of power, known as "United Russia," which dominates Russia's national parliament and faces no credible opposition there.It lost an election, lost it in a landslide.The poll in question took place in the world's most northerly major city, Murmansk. The race was for mayor, and United Russia's candidate was blown off the electoral map by an upstart independent candidate named Sergei Subbotin. The margin of victory in the runoff election was nearly two to one.The casual onlooker might not have thought Putin's Kremlin would get too worked up over the loss, however. After all, Subbotin stated unequivocally that he was not an opposition candidate. "I'm a supporter of Vladimir Putin," he proudly declared, loudly and often.But the Kremlin reacted with thermonuclear political force.The ink on Subbotin's victory certification was not even dry before a measure was moving in the Russian...(Read Full Article)
