Posted on 06/29/2005 10:57:47 PM PDT by familyop
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's parliament on Wednesday approved on second reading a raft of amendments to election rules, which critics say would further tighten the Kremlin's grip on power if implemented. If introduced, the changes, proposed by President Vladimir Putin, would ban political parties merging into blocs to stand in elections and scrap the "against all" option, used as a protest vote, on ballot papers in regional polls.
Putin has been accused by opponents and some Western governments of endangering democracy through sweeping political reforms he said were needed after last year's deadly Beslan school siege carried out by Chechen rebels. "From June 29 any elections held in Russia can only be called elections in quotation marks," said opposition deputy Vladimir Ryzhkov. "Election law has been rewritten to suit the needs of the authorities," he said.
The changes to the election law follow Putin's abolition of gubernatorial elections to make regional leaders Kremlin appointees instead.
New rules on elections to the State Duma lower house of parliament and on forming political parties -- which effectively bar small parties and independent candidates from the chamber -- have already been passed by legislators.
Putin says reform is needed to create more effective instruments for governing his sprawling country which stretches across 11 time zones.
The latest amendments to the election law must pass a third reading before being sent for approval to the Federation Council upper house of parliament, after which Putin must sign them into law.
The Kremlin-controlled United Russia party holds two thirds of seats in the Duma, enough to pass legislation single-handedly.
Russia ping
Got the same thing in Italy.
==If introduced, the changes, proposed by President Vladimir Putin, would ban political parties merging into blocs to stand in elections and scrap the "against all" option, used as a protest vote, on ballot papers in regional polls.
So, in effect, the people will have two choices: either the Unity party or the Communists. What a clever dialectic. Right = Unity, Left = Communists. These will be the only two choices (whether you are Russian, or from the international Community). Conservatives will have no choice but to support Unity, whereas the Left will have no choice but to support the Communists. How very clever of Putin.
You said it well. The plan on both sides is now very clear: to give Russians and their neighbors the choice between communism and national socialism. ...fascism, even with the adjunct of establishment of competing fascist religion, if they can pull it off. Our leaders and Russia's believe that the growing national socialist trend might be enough to check the growing Islamist trend around Russia.
The problem with that plan is that national socialism can be as difficult to get in check between nations later on as can communism or radical Islamism. We saw that in WWII, and with currents events around the world in mind, it could be worse and bigger this time around.
==The plan on both sides is now very clear: to give Russians and their neighbors the choice between communism and national socialism
Some choice, huh? That is the essence of dialectical strategy...to offer the enemy false choices. The key question is (and our foreign policy experts would do well to ponder this question carefully) who is this dialectic primarily designed to trap?
ping
It's tiring that no matter what is done over there it's all a conspiracy theory knee jerk, without anyone stopping for a second to wonder how what is being done is going to really affect the politics.
Heck, while we're at it, we might want to also concentrate on our own serfdom. As of these last 2 months, with the ruling against Medical Pot, the Federal government has demonstrated that there are no states' rights and now with the ruling on Immanent Domain that we have ZERO private property rights on top of that.
Thanks, that was very enlightening to see your stance so well put.
They require boogymen under the bed across the ocean, but cannot see the ongoing destruction here of our own constitution.
Typical lie. The other parties have and equal chance, all they have to do is to sell their message. They lost the last election because they had 8 years of power and did nothing but rob the nation. But maybe you liked it that way, for the Russians to be poor and desolate?
Sounds like the American system - when was the last time we had a thrid party candidate win the presidency?
Sounds like the American system - when was the last time we had a thrid party candidate win the presidency? Conservtives are forced to vote Republican...
Or much of anything else, for that matter. Hypocrisy of the most special kind prevails when it comes to Russia. Gosh, they only have two main parties to vote for. How sad.
I noticed you joined Free Republic 6/29/2005. Hmmm, why is it your hate Russia posts sound familiar?
==Putin is not a national socialist
I never said or implied that Putin is a national socialist.
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