[Lukasz]

Are you questioning the validity of elections in Russia? Is Putin really so popular or did he win through the fraud? Is the Duma elected in a valid way? Is there a real legal oposition in Russia? Is the policy of Russian government supported by the population?

Putin didn’t must to won with help of fraud cause he brainwashed the Russians like all others their leaders. He control most of medias and practically all medias in the provinces. Beside that there is many conditions to fulfill to be a real democratic country, for example friendly foreign policy especially towards neighbors if the aren’t enemies. Do not Arafat had similar situation in Palestine like Putin in Russia? He was great democrat then?

[eluminate]

By your definition if someone YOU liked won then it would have been democratic but if someone YOU DON't LIKE Wins it isn't? Ergo Putin.

In Ukraine there was a law passed that prohibited the elderly to vote by absentee ballot just prior dec 31st to limit the amount of people who would be able to cast their vote in the east. It effected a huge number of people over 2 million. Also intimidation of Yanukovich supporters in the east and publishing of their names on doors of local gov't centers to show those that "betray" their country dissuade them from voting in order to not be prosecuted.

(P.S. I m still waiting for the succession to occur.)

[A. Pole]

Putin didn’t must to won with help of fraud cause he brainwashed the Russians like all others their leaders. He control most of medias and practically all medias in the provinces.

How come that Yeltsin who was not able to "brainwash the Russians" and had popularity in single digits while Putin enjoys support close to 70%?

Maybe because giving away the country to the "reform minded oligarchs" (velikie vory v zakonie) was not so popular?

Beside that there is many conditions to fulfill to be a real democratic country, for example friendly foreign policy especially towards neighbors if the aren’t enemies.

Democracy has nothing to do with being friendly or unfriendly to the neighbors. Check the dictionary or encyclopedia.

Your pseudo-reasoning is following: "democracy" is a standard of goodness, to be "good" is to conduct policies you like, so Russia must be undemocratic. Do not Arafat had similar situation in Palestine like Putin in Russia? He was great democrat then?