Medvedev Urges Reform of Russia’s Political System
By ELLEN BARRY
Published: December 17, 2011
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MOSCOW — President Dmitri A. Medvedev said Saturday that the country’s political system had “exhausted itself” and must be changed, and that the Russian authorities should accept that street protests reflected “the mood of our people.”
The remarks, Mr. Medvedev’s first lengthy commentary on an unprecedented series of anti-Kremlin protests in Russia’s large cities, came two days after Prime MinisterVladimir V. Putin went out of his way to insult the protesters during his annual televised question-and-answer session, saying that the white ribbon they have adopted as a symbol of reform looked like a condom.
Upward of 50,000 people gathered in Moscow a week ago to express anger over parliamentary elections that many rejected as fraudulent and slanted in favor of the ruling party, United Russia. It remains unclear whether the authorities intend to seriously engage with the middle-class urbanites who are demanding a more competitive political system.
Mr. Medvedev, who was addressing the party, did not answer this question. Though his remarks were more sympathetic to the protesters, he followed them up with warnings and criticism, and said reforms could not be adopted under pressure.
Mr. Medvedev’s importance in the government has seemed to recede as the country prepares for Mr. Putin to return to the presidency. During his question-and-answer session on Thursday that lasted more than four hours, Mr. Putin mentioned Mr. Medvedev only once. Kremlinologists took this as evidence that Mr. Medvedev can no longer expect to be appointed prime minister in the spring, as Mr. Putin had promised. Even if that is the case, Mr. Medvedev will retain extraordinary constitutional powers and access to the media for as long as he remains president.
“We are obviously entering a new stage in the development of our political system, and we should not close our eyes to that,” Mr. Medvedev told members of United Russia, according to an official transcript. “It has already begun. And it began not as a result of some demonstrations — that is just superficial, it is foam, if you like — it is a manifestation of human dissatisfaction.
“It began because the old model — which faithfully and truly served our state in recent years, and didn’t serve it badly, and which we all defended — it has exhausted itself,” Mr. Medvedev said, adding that United Russia should take a leading role in proposing reforms. “We need to change the model, and only then will there be dynamic development in our country.” He warned that Russia will face disaster if the public ceases to view the government as genuinely elected — a danger, since Mr. Putin is likely to run against a slate of docile, Kremlin-approved candidates, on the heels of the parliamentary elections that have drawn anger.
“It is categorically inadmissible that the political system be delegitimized,” Mr. Medvedev said. “This would only mean one thing for our country: the collapse of the state. What Russia is without government is something that everyone remembers well from history books, it’s 1917.”
The Russian authorities have said that American leaders were interfering by publicly criticizing the elections, and Mr. Medvedev said he had raised complaints with President Obama in a telephone conversation on Friday.
“I was of course obliged to tell him one thing: you can assess our elections as you like, that’s your business. Honestly speaking, this has little significance to us,” Mr. Medvedev said, who has enjoyed a warm relationship with his American counterpart during the administration’s efforts to “reset” relations with Russia. “But when on the next day, or the day after that, begins the old song and dance, when we hear the reproofs in the worst traditions of the cold war, that is outrageous. It is definitely not a reset. And I was obliged to say this to my comrade yesterday.”
He seemed to be referring to a Dec. 5 statement by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Mr. Putin has said that Mrs. Clinton’s words were a coded signal to “some actors in our country” to organize street protests.
Mr. Medvedev seemed not to agree. “The street, that is not the U.S. State Department,” he said. “The street is the mood of our people. And the authorities should responsibly and clearly say this. It is their mood.”
A version of this article appeared in print on December 18, 2011, on page A10 of the New York edition with the headline: Medvedev Urges Reform Of Russia Political System.
Published: December 17, 2011
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MOSCOW — President Dmitri A. Medvedev said Saturday that the country’s political system had “exhausted itself” and must be changed, and that the Russian authorities should accept that street protests reflected “the mood of our people.”
The remarks, Mr. Medvedev’s first lengthy commentary on an unprecedented series of anti-Kremlin protests in Russia’s large cities, came two days after Prime MinisterVladimir V. Putin went out of his way to insult the protesters during his annual televised question-and-answer session, saying that the white ribbon they have adopted as a symbol of reform looked like a condom.
Upward of 50,000 people gathered in Moscow a week ago to express anger over parliamentary elections that many rejected as fraudulent and slanted in favor of the ruling party, United Russia. It remains unclear whether the authorities intend to seriously engage with the middle-class urbanites who are demanding a more competitive political system.
Mr. Medvedev, who was addressing the party, did not answer this question. Though his remarks were more sympathetic to the protesters, he followed them up with warnings and criticism, and said reforms could not be adopted under pressure.
Mr. Medvedev’s importance in the government has seemed to recede as the country prepares for Mr. Putin to return to the presidency. During his question-and-answer session on Thursday that lasted more than four hours, Mr. Putin mentioned Mr. Medvedev only once. Kremlinologists took this as evidence that Mr. Medvedev can no longer expect to be appointed prime minister in the spring, as Mr. Putin had promised. Even if that is the case, Mr. Medvedev will retain extraordinary constitutional powers and access to the media for as long as he remains president.
“We are obviously entering a new stage in the development of our political system, and we should not close our eyes to that,” Mr. Medvedev told members of United Russia, according to an official transcript. “It has already begun. And it began not as a result of some demonstrations — that is just superficial, it is foam, if you like — it is a manifestation of human dissatisfaction.
“It began because the old model — which faithfully and truly served our state in recent years, and didn’t serve it badly, and which we all defended — it has exhausted itself,” Mr. Medvedev said, adding that United Russia should take a leading role in proposing reforms. “We need to change the model, and only then will there be dynamic development in our country.” He warned that Russia will face disaster if the public ceases to view the government as genuinely elected — a danger, since Mr. Putin is likely to run against a slate of docile, Kremlin-approved candidates, on the heels of the parliamentary elections that have drawn anger.
“It is categorically inadmissible that the political system be delegitimized,” Mr. Medvedev said. “This would only mean one thing for our country: the collapse of the state. What Russia is without government is something that everyone remembers well from history books, it’s 1917.”
The Russian authorities have said that American leaders were interfering by publicly criticizing the elections, and Mr. Medvedev said he had raised complaints with President Obama in a telephone conversation on Friday.
“I was of course obliged to tell him one thing: you can assess our elections as you like, that’s your business. Honestly speaking, this has little significance to us,” Mr. Medvedev said, who has enjoyed a warm relationship with his American counterpart during the administration’s efforts to “reset” relations with Russia. “But when on the next day, or the day after that, begins the old song and dance, when we hear the reproofs in the worst traditions of the cold war, that is outrageous. It is definitely not a reset. And I was obliged to say this to my comrade yesterday.”
He seemed to be referring to a Dec. 5 statement by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Mr. Putin has said that Mrs. Clinton’s words were a coded signal to “some actors in our country” to organize street protests.
Mr. Medvedev seemed not to agree. “The street, that is not the U.S. State Department,” he said. “The street is the mood of our people. And the authorities should responsibly and clearly say this. It is their mood.”
A version of this article appeared in print on December 18, 2011, on page A10 of the New York edition with the headline: Medvedev Urges Reform Of Russia Political System.
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