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NTV channel, "Freedom of Speech" programme, May 28, 2004

Why Russia Is Not the USA

Based on BBC Monitoring

President Putin's state-of-the-nation address was the subject of Russian NTV's "Freedom of Speech" discussion programme on 28 May, hosted by Savvik Shuster and with a panel of experts that consisted of Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov, Head of the Duma Property Committee and member of the United Russia faction Viktor Pleskachevsky, leader of the Motherland (Rodina) bloc Dmitry Rogozin, another United Russia man and Duma Deputy Speaker Georgy Boos, YABLOKO leader Grigory Yavlinsky, member of the Duma Gennady Raikov and some others in the audience.

The theme raised in Putin's state of the nation address which opened the debate was the question of a free society. Grigory Yavlinsky's comment was applauded by the audience: "I feel a free man in a society that isn't free." In his comments on an opinion poll which suggests that more than three-quarters of all Russians approve of Putin's performance to date, Yavlinsky thought that little if anything had been achieved in reality.

The high percentage of support for Putin, he said, "has two ingredients. The main one is hope, and the other, to a degree, the fact that, due to oil prices, pensions and pay have gone up a little. In general, however, our life has changed little. There have been few changes for the better, in such terms as, for example, corruption, security, employment, the employment structure, free speech or freedom of activity such as small and medium-sized business. So while the president is good, our life isn't. There we have it."

Criticism

Support for Putin came from Boos and Pleskachevskiy. But there was outspoken criticism of the Putin address on the points mentioned or omitted fromthe speech. Below are some examples.

Political scientist Dmitry Oreshkin said: "The goals were mutually exclusive. I fail to see how there can be lower inflation and, at the same time, higher growth. I fail to see how we can undertake major social projects in education and health care and, at the same time, bring the armed forces up to date. I fail to see how we can do without public organizations or, in fact, talk about their development and, at the same time, reinforce state control over these organisations."

And regional politician Oleg Sysuyev said: "The president confirmed that the power structure that has been erected enables him to talk about technical matters, and to talk about everything but say nothing. Not to talk about the things that really concern society, which are Chechnya, corruption, courts and prosecutors that work to order. And, at the same time, talk at length about freedom, talk at length about democracy. It seems to me that a solution to the main issue, which is how to build a civic society as a means towards prosperity, is a long way away yet, which this confirmed."

Irina Yasina, of Open Russia, added: "The onslaught on non-governmental organizations ... is, in my view, a monstrous thing to do."

Rogozin

In his speech, Rogozin criticized the government, as distinct from the president. We have a government responsible for the implementation of the goals, "which people from United Russia, whose representatives are here in the studio, like. We don't. I don't trust either Kudrin or Gref. Or Zurabov [Finance Minister Aleksei Kudrin, Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref, and Health and Social Development Minister Mikhail Zurabov]. They have been in power for far too long.

"In his recent speech, for example, Kudrin said that we would be able to join the World Trade Organization, which, by the way, will adversely affect our manufacturers. In exchange, we'll ratify the Kyoto Protocol. All this is in the interests of the West, in the interests of the Western economy. As far as we are concerned, there is no benefit.

"Why should we up oil output, which will lower the price of oil, as Kudrin says? On the contrary, it is in our interests to be the only country in the world which has some oil and gas left." He called for economic diversification to move away from reliance on the export of raw materials. Industry, agriculture and the service sector should be given priority.

Zyuganov

Zyuganov's comments, as remarked by a participant, were in the form of "slogans". Putin-s speech failed to mention much that is essential, such as the need to develop industry, support agriculture and provide social protection for the population, Zyuganov said.

"My main impression from the message is that it is a smoke screen" behind which some "very drastic" policies will be implemented to the detriment of the populace.

Yavlinsky

The darling of the audience, Yavlinsky picked up on the lack of specifics in the president's address.

"Yes, it can be done," he said about Putin's goals. "Yes, GDP can be doubled. However, this will be growth without development, as we saw in the past in the Soviet Union: we increase the production of cast iron or steel but cannot build a PC."

In his very caustic comments, Putin, he charged, said nothing about how to resolve crises in the provision of welfare.

He went on: "Did the president say that private property is inviolable? Did he say that?"

"Did he say that the courts must have absolute independence? Did he say that? And did he say that Russia must have independent TV, public TV, public as in one that doesn't depend on the whim of the state or the whim of an oligarch? Public as in one, for example, which has ... real political news that does not aim to promote those in power and to moronize the masses?"

"Finally, do you not think that when he spoke about civic society, he for example did not say: yes, I disagree with many things but I am ready to engage in dialogue with civic society - its political parties and public organizations - ... instead of making life a nightmare for them and saying how terrible it is that they are funded from abroad, and so on."

 

NTV channel, "Freedom of Speech" programme, May 28, 2004

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