Despite the fact that on Friday top officials from the government and the Kremlin confirmed to us
that Nazdratenko (Ed. ex-governor of Maritime Territory that has been suffering an acute energy
crisis) would not be appointed head of the State Committee for Fishing, on Saturday he was
appointed to this post.
Grigory Yavlinsky has delivered a report at the historical-philosophical conference entitled "Russia under
Putin - where is it going?"
What is a corporate state? I would propose the following definition: a modern corporate state is
a state that does not destroy democratic institutes, but adapts them to its needs. It makes them
branches of a closed political system with a strict discipline. This discipline does not tolerate any
attempts on criticism within the system and any deviation beyond its borders.
...And what was the result? After becoming acquainted with the letter, George Bush Jr. transfers
Yavlinsky's initiative to Russian-American soil, and sends a letter to Putin on February 20,
proposing the involvement of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex in the
creation of ABM components. In the morning the Kremlin, obviously frightened by such a radical
wording of the issue - which is extremely favourable in terms of propaganda - urgently sets forth
counter-initiatives to Europe, again, in accordance with Yavlinsky's logic. The difference is that
Bush had been thinking over the answer for three weeks, and the Kremlin for three years. The
very three years during which this protracted rivalry over ABM could have resulted in an entirely
different outcome for Russia.
Chairman of the Yabloko Association Grigory Yavlinsky considers the inter-departmental
instruction of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation to review anonymous
applications from citizens and potentially launch investigations on them as “sheer arbitrary rule
placing the greatest possible pressure on citizens.” Such a declaration was made by Yavlinsky at
a press conference on February 21, 2001.
By Simon Saradzhyan, Staff Writer,
The Moscow Times, Wednesday, February 21, 2001. Page
1
"The Russian proposal deals with
threats posed by short- and mid-range missiles, while
the American system is intended to fend off intercontinental
missiles," Arbatov said on ORT.
By Charles Digges, Staff writer St Petersburg Times, No 646, Tuesday, February 20, 2001
Svyatoslav Zabelin, who co-chairs the Moscow-based environmental group Social Ecological
Union, agreed. "Both governments - Russia and America - seem intent on turning Russia into the
world's radioactive toilet."
The Associated Press The Moscow Times, Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2001. Page 3
The bill received tentative approval in December and is scheduled to come up for a second
reading this week. The 100 or so environmental activists lined up outside the Duma came from
about 20 regions, the rally organizers said. "People's health is more valuable than profit," read
one poster. Another read: "Mr. President, show will and courage - stop the insanity of the State
Duma, don't allow Russia to be turned into a nuclear waste dump."
Elena Bonner, widow of the dissident Andrei Sakharov, says repression is creeping back
The Sunday Times, February 18, 2001
Today total state terror seems impossible, but we lived, and continue to live, in a state of lies.
The great lie calls Russia a democratic state. The barely created election procedures were
violated during the elections in Chechnya, which took place during the first Chechen war, and
again in Yeltsin's 1996 election victory - which was decided largely by money and not the will of
the voters. Then came the appointment of Putin as Yeltsin's heir, as if Russia were a monarchy.
"Yabloko" today is almost the only Russian political organisation which is really independent from
the authority and owes it nothing. Yavlinsky isn't bound by any crushing obligations to the
authority: consequently the latter enters into dialogue with "Yabloko". Ruling directives suffice for
the rest. They are left to clean up their image in the show business laundromat.
By Lyuba Pronina, Staff Writer The Moscow Times, Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2001. Page 10
It's been five years since Russia passed a law on production-sharing agreements - a vital
provision needed to unleash foreign investment in the oil, gas and gold sectors - but since then
the government's handling of the crucial issue has been atrocious.
St Peterburg Times ¹ 642, Tuesday, February 06,
2001
City Gov. Vladimir Yakovlev has offered to draft
a bill ensuring governors' immunity from prosecution
for alleged crimes committed in office when a governor's
term of service ends.
