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December 27, 2011

Russia: Putin Rejects Calls For Parliamentary Election Reviews As Massive Protests Persist 
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In Russia, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has rejected calls for a review
of disputed parliamentary election results. The contested elections have
led to the largest protests Russia has seen in decades, with tens of
thousands of demonstrators taking to the streets in Moscow and St.
Petersburg. On Saturday, more than 100,000 protesters gathered in the
capital. Opposition leader Garry Kasparov claims the controversial
elections have galvanized opposition to the Russian political
establishment.

Garry Kasparov, Russian opposition leader: "This is the first time that
people have felt that they are the strong. It seems to me that this is a
psychological change. There's not the feeling anymore that there are a
few of us and many of them. Now we have many. I believe that these
people who come out, they are active, successful people. They need to
use the Internet not only for preparing these types of events and to
organize themselves, but also to propose an alternative to the people in
power — that power which is corrupt and incapable of solving the
country's problems."

Putin, meanwhile, has said there can be no talk of review and criticized
the massive protest movement for lacking a unified goal. Meanwhile
former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev has called on Putin to quit
politics.

Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev: "Nobody sacked me (in 1991).
I announced the termination of my presidency, but I explained why I did
it. So he should do the same. I would go this way. It would be the best,
because then anything positive that he did would be protected."



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