Notes from Kremlin: Evolution of Putinism

-From DR. ABDUL RUFF

[Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal, Specialist on State Terrorism ;Chancellor-Founder of Centor for International Affairs(CIA); Commentator  on world affairs, Analyst on Middle East, Chronicler of Foreign occupations & Freedom movements (Palestine, Kashmir, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Xinjiang, Chechnya, etc.) Former university Teacher; website: http://abdulruff.wordpress.com/mail: abdulruff_jnu@yahoo.com]

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Vladimir Putin who won the controversial but expected presidential race in March endorsed "gradual change" for the country instead of revolution and encouraged his audience to join his People's Front political group. Talking about the recent wave of high-profile official corruption cases, saying they are not a "show-off campaign" but part of a systemic fight against government fraud.

The People's Front is a group of various civic organizations and small political parties created by the Kremlin under Medvedev in 2011 to support Putin’s presidential election bid. The crowd included a wide range of personalities; among them film director Nikita Mikhalkov, a staunch Putin ally, and television quiz show host Leonid Yakubovich.

The People's Front is seen as an attempt to create a structure to support Putin that is different from the ruling United Russia party, which lost public support after an aggressive campaign against it by the opposition. In October, Putin proposed that the front hold a congress in spring 2013 to transform it into a national public organization. But he said the front should not become a political party to allow for broader discussions with people holding a range of political views.



Addressing a group of more than 500 of his official representatives who campaigned for him ahead of the presidential race in March, Putin invited questions from the think tank. Speaking about opposition sentiments in the country, Putin said he thought that a majority of Russians were not in favour of revolutions, which he said lead to "the killing of people and the destruction of the economic and social spheres." "We've had enough of revolutions," he said. He added that this feeling is shared by members of the protest movement, whom he described as "smart people in general." His respectful comments about the political opposition were a sharp contrast to his prior remarks about protesters until recently. Putin however spoke favourably about the possibility of reinstating the Soviet-era Hero of Labor award, betraying his Soviet era memories. (The award's legacy is controversial, since it was given to both prominent inventors and scientists like Andrei Sakharov and aircraft designer Sergei Ilyushin and to some with less celebrated achievements).

That is evolution of Putinism if not revolution of new Russia. . .

Writer Eduard Bagirov asked about the string of corruption cases announced by authorities in recent months, which included an inquiry that caused the firing of militaryMinister Anatoly Serdyukov. Putin corrected Bagirov when he called it a "campaign," saying it was not a campaign but "our policy of fighting corruption. Bagirov then followed up using a question Putin himself made famous: "Where are the arrests, Vladimir Vladimirovich?" The phrase echoed one Putin used in 2009 when publicly grilling law enforcement officials over an unsuccessful fight against smuggling. Putin said that arrests "will be made" but that harsh punishment was not the point. "The issue is not one of how tough the punishment is. The issue is its inevitability. That is most important. Any lawyer will tell you that," he said.

Bagirov's hint of skepticism was echoed by pro-Kremlin political expert Sergei Markov, who, after expressing his loyalty to the president, said "ordinary people" were not always satisfied with the results of the anti-corruption fight. "House arrest in a 13-room apartment is not seen by people as an adequate reaction," Markov said, referring to the case of Serdyukov aide Yelena Vasilyeva, who was put under house arrest in her posh apartment in downtown Moscow.

Vasilyeva is a prime suspect in the embezzlement of millions of dollars at ministry supply agency Oboronservis, the case Putin cited in firing Serdyukov in early November. "It is impossible to convict someone just because we believe the man has committed a crime if we were not able to collect evidence," Putin said, referring to the infamous purges by dictator Josef Stalin in 1937, an example Putin said must not be repeated. While not mentioning Serdyukov by name, Putin said the corruption fight will continue.

Russia has already generated a new crop of crony capitalists and international frauds and the Putin regime is aware of gross violators of Russian laws but still not ready to clamp on these corrupt criminals.

All terrocracies behave alike and Russia is not different.

Former KGB spy operating mainly abroad, Putin seems to use the new forum of  pro-regime heavy weights for promoting his image and has said the meetings with his supporters should become regular. Ahead of meeting, Putin's former campaign representatives met with senior members of the presidential administration, including Kremlin Chief of Staff Sergei Ivanov and Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov. Peskov encouraged them to be critical of the president so as to present to the world an image of Russia being a “functional democracy”. .

That is how Putinism works... Is it qualitatively vary from other similar phenomena? In countries like fanatic India opposition plays the patriotic role of promoters of the extra corrupt regime. Puitn does not require the faceless opposition in the country even for that....