Western criticism overshadows Medvedev's election romp (2nd Roundup)

Moscow - Criticism by Western and local observers overshadowed Dmitry Medvedev's landslide win to succeed Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin, but his promise of continuity was widely seen as Russia's choice.

A newspapers vendor prepares her stand decorating it with the newspapers with Dmitry Medvedev's portrait early morning after the presidential elections of Russia, 03 March 2008. With more than 95 per cent of the vote counted in Sunday's poll, Kremlin favourite Medvedev had secured 70.1 per cent of the vote, more than 50 per cent more than his nearest rival, Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov. EPA/YURI KOCHETKOVWith nearly all ballots counted Monday, Medvedev had 70.1 per cent of the vote, beating out his nearest opponent by more than a 50 per cent margin. But critics charged that Sunday's vote was unacceptably heavily Kremlin-orchestrated to transfer power to Putin's hand-picked successor while opening a path for Putin to retain power. The elections were 'neither free nor fair,' the chief of the sole Western election observer mission to Russia said Monday. 'For an election to be good it takes a good process, not just a good election day,' Andreas Gross, head of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) mission told journalists Monday. Medvedev's win over his three challengers was all but guaranteed after Putin's backing propelled him into the public eye well before the start of a campaign, which only served to secured his prime time image news reports. Russia's independent vote-monitoring group Golos joined PACE in bemoaning unequal conditions for candidate registration and an abuse of administrative resources Medvedev, whose campaign chief was the Kremlin's chief of staff. Medvedev, who holds both a cabinet post and chairmanship of the energy giant Gazprom, will be Russia's youngest leader ever at his inauguration May 7. But two weeks after assuming office he is expected to appoint Putin prime minister, leaving the only election uncertainty who will rule over Russia's resurgent oil wealth and military might. Facing reporters after his win Monday, Medvedev staked his authority over foreign policy, saying: 'The constitution leaves the president in charge of foreign policy.' Western governments may well hope Medvedev, 42, a corporate lawyer without the KGB background of his mentor Putin, brings a more liberal stance to the Kremlin than the 'siloviki' or security-hawks who had huge influence under Putin's eight-year reign. Medvedev's campaign was built around his role supervising Russia's welfare and agrarian programmes. He encouraged his liberal image by pledging to fight corruption, improve the rule of law and diversify Russia's economy. Even in his only trip abroad, Medvedev appeared more the businessman, cutting pipeline deals for Gazprom in Eastern Europe. State giant Gazprom meanwhile showed its aggressive face Monday cutting by 25 per cent shipments of Russian gas to Ukraine over a payment dispute in a move that could pare down supplies to Europe. Medvedev played up his youthful image, appearing in a black leather jacket at a rock concert on Red Square to celebrate his victory, but Putin stood at his side in a repeat of campaign scenes. At each of his public appearance Medvedev has parroted promises to 'follow the course set by Putin,' and including in his claim over foreign policy in the early evening Monday. Putin enjoys stunning popularity, having brought back a sense of national pride and a stability underpinned by soaring oil prices that most Russians are thankful for after a difficult Soviet transition. Moscow Patriarch Alexei II blessed Medvedev's win Monday, calling it proof of the population's confidence in Putin's rule. PACE's Gross meanwhile moderated his criticism Monday, saying that 'to reduce the whole election to a spin by the forces working in the Kremlin, would be too simple.' 'The president-elect will have a solid mandate given him by the majority of Russians,' he said. Young activist pro-Putin groups demonstrated on Monday outside the US Embassy in Moscow against US foreign policy in Kosovo and planned missile defence base in Eastern Europe. Decked in capes bearing the Kremlin's campaign slogans 'Russia Forward!' activists acted out performance protests including a read- through of Putin's bellicose Munich foreign policy speech. Meanwhile, members of Russia special police unit OMON arrested over 50 supporters of ex-chess champion and fierce Kremlin critic Garry Kasparov, who held an unauthorized protest on Monday. Kasparov, who dubbed Sunday's election a Kremlin-orchestrated 'farce,' was participating in parallel marches in St Petersburg where over 1000 activists had gathered, news agency Ekho Moskvy reported. Monday's protest highlighted the main election day accusations of bias media coverage and impossible conditions for candidate registration. Following the Central Election Commissions dismissal of former premier and opposition leader Mikhail Kasyanov, all liberal organizers of the past years' anti-Kremlin marches had been dropped from the race. Local television and websites largely ignored news of the protests Monday.

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waine UKMar 3rd, 2008 - 18:42:01

I don't think the West has any cause to critisize the Russian elections, especialy when you see how Bush userpt the Presidency in a fiasco of an election. People in glass houses should'nt throw stones.
Let's face it the the failed candidates are moaning because they lost the prize, probably Yeltzins people who have lost the chance to plunder the oil assets just like that lot who the UK are sheltering, when he (Yeltzin ) was in charge. Putin and his party are doing a good job of rebalancing the country for the benefit of all the people, not just a few plunderers.

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SP4: Why Yes, waine!Mar 3rd, 2008 - 20:40:20

Heaven forbid! This chucklehead gags the press, imprisons his adversaries, bullys everyone, and then usurps the people. Golly, why would anyone object? It's like a Marx brothers movie: Groucho, Harpo, Zeppo, Vlad and Karl.

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WesterMar 3rd, 2008 - 22:08:46

' I don't think the West has any cause to critisize the Russian '
Do you mix a little bit of crack with your pot ? You laser in on one little questionable allegation while ignoring the rest of planet that like Russia is far far worse .
' The West ' (the most civilied part of the world ) is wrong and puny little you are ' right ' .

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brahmanMar 3rd, 2008 - 23:36:43

Putin is a dictator for christ's sake! It doesn't matter if he does some good things for the economy, he's still a dictator. He has destroyed freedom of the press, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, he rigs fraudulent elections, ignors the intent of constitutional limits, and imprisons his opposition. These things are bad for any people, including the Russian people. Putin is a criminal and should be treated as one.

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GooseMar 4th, 2008 - 06:57:00

I guess for the Russians who remember the soviets then this is kinda a freedom. But to anyone else (except maybe tinfoil hat wearing Wayne) then its about as convincing as the democratic elections in Iraq (under sadman), Syria or Iran. On the bright side at least we don't have to pretend their still a democracy.

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