[Forming a political opposition in Russia became a practical impossibility. . .
Firstly, we lack an independent Judiciary. An opposition has to be able to appeal to an independent Legal system. Secondly, we lack independent national mass Media. . .Thirdly; there are no independent sources of Finance for anything substantial. In the absence of these three fundamentals it is impossible to create a viable political opposition. . .There is no democracy now in Russia, because democracy without an opposition is impossible. . .
Were we seeing a crisis of Russian Parliamentary democracy in the Putin era? No, we were witnessing it's death.]
Ugly parallels here, of course; in the message for 'change'.