DATE=12/20/1999
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
TITLE=RUSSIA POLITICS
NUMBER=5-45060
BYLINE=PETER HEINLEIN
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: The Kremlin has hailed Russia's parliamentary
elections as a peaceful revolution, after two
nominally pro-government factions made strong
showings. International observers say the ballot was
conducted in a generally fair manner, although they
have some reservations. But as V-O-A Moscow
correspondent Peter Heinlein reports, independent
experts are expressing grave concerns about the result
and its possible implications for Russia's future.
TEXT: The head of the European security
organization's observer mission says Sunday's election
was a step forward for Russia's fledgling democracy.
But O-S-C-E [Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe] mission chief Helle Degn notes some
disturbing irregularities, including wholesale abuse
of the state-run media to bash [attack] anti-
government candidates.
/// DEGN ACT ///
Political associations have in the state-
controlled T-V been given free and equal time on
T-V. But both in the state T-V channels and the
private and commercial media, they have all been
very biased.
/// END ACT ///
Other observers were less charitable in their
assessments. Veteran Russia watcher Michael McFaul
says the Kremlin's willingness to use the media to
destroy political enemies during the campaign left
voters with little information about issues facing
them.
/// 1st McFAUL ACT ///
This was probably the worst campaign in terms of
violations of voters' rights. What's striking
to me is the amazing ability of those in power,
the state, that for years we have been talking
about being so weak, blah, blah, blah [et
cetera]. The state is pretty darn strong. And
what's really weak is societal control on the
state.
/// END ACT ///
Experts agree the clear winner in Sunday's vote was a
man who was not even participating -- Prime Minister
Vladimir Putin. In little more than four months, Mr.
Putin has replaced the anti-Kremlin leader Yevgeny
Primakov as the leading contender for the presidency
next year.
Michael McFaul believes the Putin phenomenon was
created by the Kremlin to turn the anger of Russian
voters to their advantage by offering their own
powerful protest candidate.
/// 2nd McFAUL ACT ///
Except it's as if the protest leader, instead of
being on the outside, has emerged from the
inside of the government, and that's Putin, and
that's very important. Maybe it sounds
paradoxical, but Putin is not the old system.
Putin is against [President Boris] Yeltsin.
Putin is against the status quo. Putin is
against stagnation.
/// END ACT ///
Another analyst, Alan Rousso, director of the Moscow
Carnegie Center, says he is disturbed by the ease with
which the Kremlin created the pro-government Unity
bloc from nothing a few months ago, and whipped up
massive public support even though voters knew almost
nothing about what Unity stands for.
/// ROUSSO ACT ///
Is it a good thing that a party, which was
created three months ago, with no political
agenda of its own, save for support of the
government and the war in Chechnya, won so many
votes? Does that tell us something positive
about Russia's future and the state of the
electorate. The answer is `no'.
/// END ACT ///
Mr. Rousso says the Putin phenomenon is a dangerous
strategy that could backfire if the war takes a turn
for the worse before presidential elections next year,
or if members of the hastily-assembled Unity
parliamentary delegation turn out to have other
allegiances.
For the time being, most observers agree the election
results give Mr. Putin more room to maneuver, making
him a power in his own right. But that too, has a
negative side, since the Prime Minister may try to use
that new-found strength to challenge other power
centers within the Kremlin. (Signed)
NEB/PFH/GE/WTW
20-Dec-1999 12:30 PM EDT (20-Dec-1999 1730 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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