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Thousands
at Rival Election Rallies
By Oksana Yablokova, The Moscow Times, October 29, 2004
A day before the State Duma was to consider in a first reading the
much-criticized Kremlin plan to scrap the popular vote for governors,
hundreds of people turned out at competing rallies Thursday in central
Moscow to praise or denounce the legislation.
Pro-Kremlin
party wins elections in Chita, liberals are disaster
ITAR-TASS, October 25, 2004
The Chita region elected the legislature in single-mandate districts
and by party lists for the first time ever. More than 90 candidates competed
for 21 mandates in single-mandate districts, and five parties –
the United Russia, the Communist Party, the Liberal Democratic Party,
Yabloko and the Agrarian Party – competed for another 21 mandates.
Khodorkovsky
marks first year in jail
RosBusinessConsulting, October 25, 2004
Exactly one year ago, on October 25, 2003, Mikhail Khodorkovsky,
Chief Executive Officer and a key shareholder in the oil company
YUKOS, was arrested.
Political
Opposition Comments on Upcoming Reforms...
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, October 20, 2004
Also speaking at the hearing, former State Duma Deputy Viktor
Sheinis (Yabloko) suggested legislation that might mitigate
the "negative consequences" of the contemplated reform,
such as not increasing the minimum number of members for a political
party to be registered and not increasing the ceiling for entry
to the State Duma or local legislatures beyond 5 percent of the
total vote.
Political
Parties in Crisis
By Nikolai Petrov, The Moscow Times, October 18, 2004
Following President Vladimir Putin's latest proposals
for government reform, elections have been held for four regional legislatures
-- in the Tula, Sakhalin and Irkutsk regions and the republic of Marii-El.
Under a mixed electoral system introduced last year, half of the seats
in all four legislatures were allocated by party list. These elections
offer the first test of strength following the State Duma elections last
fall and the presidential election earlier this year.
Journalist
Politkovskaya’s Anti-Putin Book Published in UK
MosNews, October 15, 2004
"Under President Putin we won't be able to forge democracy
in Russia and will only turn back to the past. I am not an optimist
in this regard and so my book is pessimistic. I have no hope left
in my soul. Only a change of leadership would allow me to have hope
but it's a political winter. The Kremlin is turning the country
back to its Soviet past," the paper quoted Politkovskaya as
saying.
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Parties Seek to Raise the Membership Bar
By Francesca Mereu, The Moscow Times, October 15, 2004
United Russia, the Liberal Democratic Party and Rodina submitted
a bill to the State Duma late Wednesday requiring political parties
to increase their membership from 10,000 to 50,000.
"This bill will make the country resemble the Soviet Union,
when people were required to hold party cards," said Alexei
Melnikov, a former Duma deputy from Yabloko, which has 85,000
members.
Two
Regional Legislatures Call For Restoration of Death Penalty
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, October 1, 2004
Human rights ombudsman Vladimir
Lukin told ITAR-TASS on 30 September that he continues to oppose
the death penalty, saying that ending the moratorium "would
put us on the same level as those who have no respect for human
life."
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