Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Vladimir Putin now has a billionaire opponent in the Russian presidential race or – “Occupy the ballot box”?

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Chart of the results of this month's Russian electionThis one is worth watching.

Explanatory photo gallary:

See also:

Occupy the ballot box - in Russia - seems to be next.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  1. Prokhorov is a very intelligent, forthright type of man. A problem is that he will draw many of the typical “United Russia” voters to his cause (“A Just Russia) which could strengthen the Kommunist Party and the so-calledd Liberal Democratic Party (noted for the fascist and ultra nationalistic views of most of its members.) But Russia is a country in need of fresh faces and new ideas. So I am glad that Putin will have some competition.

    • Edgar, I notice that you haven’t responded to my comment on the earlier thread about the Russian presidential race.

      In the On-Point show that I referenced, Professor Stephen F. Cohen argued (I thought persuasively) that the voter manipulation that occurred in this election had the effect of understating the gains made by the Communist party (CPRF). He suggested that the actual total was closer to 30%, as opposed to the 19.2% in the official results. He also suggested that, based on comparing the official results with pre-election opinion polls and exit polling, this was the most fair election in post cold-war Russian history. Not “fair”, of course, but a significant step forward over earlier elections.

      I wonder how you respond to this perspective.

  2. How legitimate is this guy’s candidacy? Is another Medvedev? I can’t imagine you’re a Russian billionaire not in prison unless you’re already in Putin’s pocket.

  3. the powers that be in the Kremlin. Do a quick check on wikipedia and you’ll see that he is different from most of the other oligarchs. He is the new owner of the NBA Nets and is building a new venue for the team in Brooklyn. Here is a link to his interview with V. Pozner on Russian tv. He is more of a Medvedeev type: extremely bright, articulate and up on modern technology.http://www.1tv.ru/sprojects_edition/si5756/fi9307

  4. response when using the reply button). I listened to the NPR program, which was excellent. Professor Cohen is correct about the relative strength of the Communnist Party. In fact, some conspiracy analysts say that the Kremlin itself sponsors all of these parties with that very purpose in mind: to water down support for the CPRF and the LPDR.
    Another interesting event, totally ignored by the world media thus far, is the recent election in South Ossetia where the woman victor Alla Jiakovoi had her election overturned by a judicial counselor sent by the Kremlin to advise the current president and ministers what to do. People had been demonstrating by the thousands in the streets, so finally the Kremlin and the ruling junta agreed to have new elections later on, and the current president Kokoiti would step down, to be replaced, I think, by his assistant. Kokoiti’s regime has only enriched his familie(s), friends, etc. The Kremlin has been sending a lot of money there (which only went into the pockets of the Kokoiti people) because, as you may remember, South Ossetia was one of two provinces “liberated” from Georgia in the war of August, 2008. Here is the site of the disenfranchised there in South Ossetia: http://uasamonga.ru/ (If you don’t read Russian, I think that you can use the google translator.)

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