| The liberal YABLOKO party held a rally near the Prosecutor
General's Office headquarters on
Thursday morning in protest at the latest initiatives of President Vladimir
Putin, in particular,
his proposal to scrap elections by popular vote for governors in Russia's
89 regions. Under
the proposals candidates would instead be selected by the president and
approved by
regional assemblies.
Protesters held placards reading "Putin is a Usurper!", "Putin,
Resign!" and photos of Putin
made to look like Adolf Hitler. The rally, organized by YABLOKO, was sanctioned
by the
authorities.
Another major liberal party, The Union of Right-Wing Forces (SPS), did
not take part in the action. SPS representatives told Ekho Moskvi radio
station that they planned a separate action.
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