Posted on 03/20/2005 10:31:53 AM PST by lizol
Opposition plans to check Kremlin's master
By Simon Tisdall
LONDON: The decision by Garry Kasparov, the world's top chess player, to retire from the game and devote his talents to opposing Vladimir Putin will hardly induce the Kremlin's grandmaster to resign his position.
But Mr Kasparov's move reflects broader, increasingly vocal discontent over the president's perceived descent into authoritarianism. The Putin paradox is that the more he tries to exert control, the more uncontrollable a changing Russia may ultimately prove to be.
Mr Kasparov's assertion that the country "is heading down the wrong path" echoed the words of a more formidable political figure, Mikhail Kasyanov, prime minister during Mr Putin's first term and finance minister under Boris Yeltsin.
Accusing Russia's leader of abandoning democratic values by stifling political pluralism, undermining judicial and media independence, and turning his back on a free-market economy, Mr Kasyanov called on the democratic opposition to unite.
"I have reached the view that not one of these values is being implemented or respected," he said last month. "The direction has changed - The country is on the wrong track."
This view has found prominent supporters. Former president Mikhail Gorbachev warned last week of social upheaval and a "merciless revolt" unless Mr Putin sacked incompetent advisers and changed tack.
Mr Yeltsin is also believed to have lost faith in the protege he raised from obscurity in 1999. "He doesn't say it in public but Yeltsin thinks he made a mistake with Putin," a source said.
Mr Kasyanov's hint that he might seek the presidency in 2008, when Mr Putin is constitutionally bound to step down, has prompted comparisons with Viktor Yushchenko and Ukraine's "orange revolution".
Ukraine's popular protest movement, itself inspired by street activism in Serbia and Georgia, has found willing emulators among student groups in St Petersburg and Moscow. They have formed an organisation called Walking Without Putin, dedicated to democratic renewal. But command of the streets will be harder to achieve than in Kiev or Tbilisi. For a start, the activists are opposed by two pro-Putin youth groups, known as Walking Together and Our Own.
Russian newspapers have linked Our Own to Vladislav Surkov, a Putin confidant, influential Kremlin ideologist and boss of a state oil monopoly. Mr Surkov is held responsible for the success of the pro-Putin United Russia party that dominates parliament, and for developing a system of "managed democracy" which has effectively neutralised the divided left-liberal opposition parties as well as the communists and rightwing nationalists.
For these reasons, and despite Mr Putin's falling poll ratings and recent demonstrations over social security cuts, there is no sign yet of a Ukraine-style mass opposition movement.
Russia expert Anatol Lieven of the Carnegie Endowment has argued that while a "Putin meltdown is not out of the question", part of him is still genuinely committed to reform. Russia could fare much worse under another leader.
Other analysts view Mr Putin's attempts to centralise power around himself as a throwback to Soviet and tsarist times that is doomed to fail. This is particularly true of Russia's regions, where federal and party control structures have eroded, according to Fiona Hill of the Brookings Institution.
Opponents worry that Mr Putin and the siloviki - the Kremlin's inner clan of powerbrokers and security service chiefs - may try to change the constitutional or electoral systems to retain power after parliamentary polls in 2007 and the presidential vote in 2008.
"People don't believe these elections will be fair," one politician said. Mr Kasyanov has no illusions about the difficulties and dangers of challenging the president, a source said. He had already been branded a western stooge in the pay of the US. But Mr Putin's position was not unassailable.
"Putin plays on nationalism, on patriotism and what we call empire feelings - nostalgia for the Russia of the past," the source said. "On the economy, he is not renationalizing, he is redistributing - but not to the people. He is creating his own oligarchs. The speed of negative developments is very high. This trend must be stopped before it becomes irreparable.
"That is why Kasyanov decided to call for democratic forces to unite. And that is why it is important that the west keeps reminding Russia of the need for democratic values."
What's your comment about Kasparov?
MosNews
Former world champion Garry Kasparov has announced his retirement from competition chess, Reuters reports. After winning a prestigious tournament in the southern Spanish town of Linares for the ninth time on Thursday he told reporters that he wanted to devote himself to a career in politics and as a writer.
’’I will play chess, because I like it a lot, but not professionally. I may play in simultaneous games or fast games, but nothing more,’’ he said. But the chessman stressed that he had to take this decision because he had been under enormous pressure from the World Chess Federation (FIDE) in recent years and hadn’t received any support from the organization.
At the moment he is a chairman of the liberal group Committee-2008 Free Choice, which was founded a year ago. The group’s members include journalists, opposition politicians and human rights activists.
Kasparov also added that he needs time to finish his first book “My genius predecessors” and start writing a new one, which will be called “How life becomes like chess”.
Azerbaijan-born Kasparov, 41, became the youngest world champion in chess history at the age of 22. He lost his world title in 2000 to Russian Grandmaster Vladimir Kramnik, but is still ranked number one by the World Chess Federation (FIDE). In Thursday’s final round at Linares he was beaten by Bulgarian Veselin Topalov, but he had already won the overall tournament before the game.
In other words, he's a lefty. If Hitlery gets elected and this guy too, hell they'll have as good a times as Gore and Chernamerdin. Just because he's opposition doesn't mean he likes America. Putin came out publically pro-Bush on live TV several times, most of the opposition came out pro-EU/Anti-Bush. Something to think about.
However, being pro-American may work against him in Russia. Largely because of Clinton support to Yeltin and Clinton administration cozy relationship with Yeltsin outrageously corrupt and inefficient regime, anti-Americanism is now quite wide-spread in Russian society. However, if a reasonable and viable alternative to Putin policies will be formulated, it will be a huge step ahead. Kasparov logical, strategic and analytical mind can be invaluable.
What are his platforms vs Putins? His company is leftists, but lets hear his platforms, which are missing from all reports. It's easy to call your opposition a fascist, stalinist and Calligula and yet offer nothing of your own plans. I believe Kerry, Edwards, Dean and Sharpton did this a lot.
Pre-US elections, over 50% of Russians were pro-Bush. Second only to Poland. Putin was also pro-Bush.
But Kasparov's strategy is good for getting exclusive speaking tours and interviews in the West, which are more lucrative then being a real candidate.
Under Stalin there were also elections were anybody could "come and vote" and Stalin and Communist Party were always getting more than 90% of the vote. While Putin is certainly not Stalin (fortunately), the Duma is largely decorative appendix that endorses Putin Decisions and Duma is dominated by pro-Kremlin parties--essentially Kremlin creatures ("United Russia", "Motherland", etc.). During the last presidential elections, Putin opponents had practically no Access to State TV, most of the newspapers, etc. The election was essentially a democratic facade the power engages to show the world that it is legitimate. Sorry--we've already seen how the most despotic regimes can play democracy.
If Mr. Kasparov is interested why I will not, under any circumstances, vote for him in an election, the answer is plain and simple: Because Mr. Kasparov does not like and respect the country he intends to rule. Imagine for instance Senator Kerry going to Russian newspapers and publishing there a series of columns about how bad the situation is in the US under President Bush. If a politician elects to bash his or her country in another country’s media, he will fail any popular vote in any country.
The difference is that John Kerry had (and still has) a plenty of opportunity to bash Bush in the US Media. Kasparov has no opportunity to bash Putin in any major national TV (because they are all under Kremlin control) or any major newspaper except a few still functioning oppositional Internet outlets (i.e. gazeta.ru, novayagazeta.ru, Moscow News, The Moscow Times, newsru.com).
So far. And Mr. Kasparov’s Committee 2008 stands no chance of capturing this vote unless they understand the simple truth that one cannot hope to represent the country and the people he or she despises.
I do not equate attacking Putin Regime with despising Russian people. I think it's Putin Regime behavior that is the major problem for Russia. Putin regime deserves the criticism be it in Russia or abroad for its behavior first and foremost toward its own citizens and its behavior toward Russia neighbors.
So by asking for the man's platform I'm a troll? Boy have you got some issues. I searched Kasparov, politics and got a bunch of articles where all he does is mouth off slogans and nothing about his stance. His allies are mostly liberals (the American version) or out right leftists.
So while you're so inspired, post some links and lets see what he really stands for. I know he's good at using the Hitler, Stalin, Caligula comparisons, right off the bat so that already says something.
My parents also know what was the life like under Kruschev, Brezhnev, Andropov and Chernenko. They told me that voting under either was just a little more then formality. You vote only for the one candidate if you mean voting for the top Soviet Leadership. I never heard that Central Communist Party of the Soviet Union were offering more then one candidate to the top position and asked general Public to pick one. I never heard that under pre-Gorbachev Soviet Union any party other then Soviet Communist Party (or block of Communists and non-party affiliated) could legally run for an election. If you heard otherwise, please let me know. Otherwise, me and my parents probably came from different Soviet Union then you did -:)
I'm not going to worship Kasparov--I've got to see his political program yet before making any sound judgement--but pretend that Putin is not controlling the media simply because Izvestiya mentions Kasparov is a bit denial of reality. There are outlets that Kremlin did not take over (fortunately) yet, but Kremlin controls every major TV Network (NTV and others). Fortunately the regime does not yet controls fully the access to Internet, and it allows certain outlets to work. However it does not mean that regime respects the freedom of media. It simply unable to control everything in the Information and Internet age unless regime wants to turn Russia into North Korea (where cell-phones and Internet are simply banned). Putin regime is definitely not despotic like North Korean tyranny, but pretend that it is democratic--sorry I simply don't buy this.
Well--I agree that voting under Putin is different from what it was under Soviet Union, but the end result is pretty much the same. One candidate always wins.
I would say that there is both lack of leadership and lack of good vision for Russia among opposition. Well--now it's up to Kasparov to prove he can be not only chess Grand master but also political master. Let's give him a chance to move beyond ranting and to a real alternative to Putin regime.
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