PRESS DIGEST - Russia - March 14

PRESS DIGEST - Russia - March 14

MOSCOW March 14 (Reuters) - The following are some of the leading stories in Russia's newspapers on Monday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

KOMMERSANT

www.kommersant.ru

- Russia's central committee has registered many complaints during regional elections held on Sunday, the daily says, adding it expects the number of them to grow.

- Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has banned new construction in the centre of the capital and is planning to cut the land leasing period for developers from 49 to only 5-6 years.

VEDOMOSTI

www.vedomosti.ru

- Russia's No. 1 lender Sberbank (SBER03.MM: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) has acquired Russian investment bank Troika Dialog for one billion dollars.

- Moscow developers have raised their prices after Sobyanin's placed a restriction on a new construction project in the capital, the daily reports.

- Exit polls have shown a plunge in popularity of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's ruling United Russia party.

ROSSIISKAYA GAZETA

www.rg.ru

- Russia's atomic energy experts say there is no cause for grave concern after explosions struck Japan's nuclear power plants following the island nation's massive earthquake.

- Russia will toughen punishment for crimes committed by extremists, the paper says.

IZVESTIA

- Russia's Far East regions have not been affected by the situation surrounding Japan's atomic stations, the daily reports.

- Russia is in talks to buy 500 armoured carriers in France for 200 million euros ($278.7 million) to equip its border guards, the daily reports.

Russian Press at a Glance, Monday, March 14, 2011

Japanese premier Naoto Kan said Japan was facing its most difficult situation since World War II, with the death toll likely to exceed 13,000 people. Economists say the country could use the disaster to boost its economic development.

(Kommersant, Vedomosti, Rossiiskaya Gazeta)

Two tankers with liquefied natural gas and a planeload of blankets may be what it takes to start easing Russian-Japanese hostilities over a 65-year island dispute.

(Moscow Times)

The United Russia party gained some 40% in many regions at Sunday's elections to regional legislative assemblies, according to exit polls. Opposition parties called the election results a failure for the ruling party.

(Kommersant, Vedomosti, Rossiiskaya Gazeta)

Increased turnout and allegations of foul play were two hallmarks of the last big vote before State Duma elections in December, as almost 3,000 elections took place in all but nine regions nationwide on Sunday.

(Moscow Times)

President Dmitry Medvedev has jumped onto the visa-free travel bandwagon, with his top foreign policy adviser declaring that the Kremlin sent a proposal to cancel visas to the White House before last week's surprise announcement by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

(Moscow Times)

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Sberbank, Russia's biggest lender and oldest bank, announced on Friday the much-anticipated purchase of the private investment banking outfit, Troika Dialog, for $1 billion.

(Moscow Times, Vedomosti)

The Russian market remains in the focus of foreign investors' attention. Foreign funds working with Russian securities attracted some $500 million last week.

(Kommersant)

SOCIETY

Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin banned construction in the city center.

(Vedomosti, Rossiiskaya Gazeta)

Criminal capital outflow from Russia in 2010 totaled 163 billion rubles ($5.7bn).

(Nezavisimaya Gazeta)

SCIENCE

Experts at Russia's state nuclear corporation, Rosatom, discuss what could happen next at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

(Rossiiskaya Gazeta, Nezavisimaya Gazeta)

Qaddafi’s Russian Cheerleaders

http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/new/blogs/kara-murza/Qaddafis_Russian_Cheerleaders

Vladimir Kara-Murza

Since its creation in 2005 for the purpose of preventing an “orange revolution” in Russia, Nashi (translation: “Ours”), a Kremlin-sponsored youth movement popularly dubbed “Putinjugend,” has served its political masters loyally and without too much scrupulousness. Those who crossed the regime’s path, be they domestic opponents or foreign diplomats, could count on Nashi’s attention. In at least two cases of assault on opposition leader Boris Nemtsov — in November 2007 and in March 2009 — the attackers were identified as current or former Nashi operatives (in the latter case, during the Sochi mayoral campaign, Mr. Nemtsov’s eyes were doused with ammonia). The opposition leader was not the only target. After columnist Alexander Podrabinek criticized the decision to rename the Anti-Soviet café in Moscow at the demand of a former senior Communist Party official, his family was harassed by Nashi members who set up pickets outside their home; he himself was forced into hiding after receiving threats.

Other examples of the movement’s “activism” include the public trampling of portraits of opposition figures and an installation titled “You are not welcome here” featuring Russian anti-Kremlin politicians and foreign leaders dressed in Nazi uniforms. The latter was featured at the 2010 Nashi annual summer camp at Lake Seliger, attended in person by President Dmitri Medvedev. In 2006 and 2007, Nashi targeted the ambassadors from Britain and Estonia — respectively, over the support for Russian civil society, and for the relocation of a Soviet-era war memorial in Tallinn. Tony Brenton and Marina Kaljurand were repeatedly heckled and insulted. Nashi’s founder, Vasily Yakemenko (currently a minister in Vladimir Putin’s government), called for “dismantling” the Estonian Embassy, which came under siege by Nashi members. Needless to say, these actions violated Russia’s obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which requires that a host state treat any foreign diplomat “with due respect” and “take all appropriate steps to prevent any attack on his person, freedom or dignity.” The European Union responded by placing Mr. Yakemenko on its visa blacklist, where he remains to this day.

Like his younger brother Vasily, Boris Yakemenko, a member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation and one of Nashi’s chief ideologists, is not one to mince words. He has linked the opposition to terrorist attacks in the Moscow metro, openly praised the assault on Mr. Nemtsov, and supported calls for turning Mr. Podrabinek’s life into “a nightmare.” So his recent comment should not have come as a surprise. In an article titled “The Correct Way” — published on Nashi’s official website — Boris Yakemenko praised Libya’s rogue leader Muammar el-Qaddafi for the use of aerial bombardments against his own citizens. “Colonel M. Qaddafi has shown the whole world how to deal with provocateurs,” the Nashi ideologist admiringly wrote. “He began to destroy them. With missiles and everything he has. And this is the most correct way to end the use of American ‘revolutionary’ technologies.” “We are all witnessing another US attempt to take control of a Middle Eastern country,” he continued, “but, it appears, it will be a failure. Way to go, Colonel Qaddafi. If only everyone behaved like this.”

Despite its track record, Nashi continues to enjoy open patronage from the highest levels of Russia’s government. Its summer camps on Lake Seliger were visited by President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin. Its congresses were attended by Kremlin deputy chief of staff Vladislav Surkov, who assured Nashi members that “we are with you” and that “your work is valued.” Vasily Yakemenko has referred to Mr. Surkov as “our spiritual teacher, one of the ideologists of the movement.” On December 11, 2010, at a meeting with Nashi representatives, Vladislav Surkov told them: “Prepare for elections, train … your muscles. You can always count on our support.” It is worth noting that any state-sponsored harassment during election campaigns constitutes a direct violation of international law. Paragraph (7.7) of the OSCE Copenhagen Document states that “political campaigning [must be] conducted in a fair and free atmosphere in which neither administrative action, violence nor intimidation bars the parties and the candidates from freely presenting their views and qualifications.”

Boris Yakemenko, less constrained in his rhetoric than senior officials, may be saying what others are thinking. The Kremlin’s attitude toward the pro-democracy opposition is well known. In the event of major anti-regime protests, Russian leaders may turn to methods not dissimilar to those used by the Libyan colonel. The likelihood of such protests, as Russia nears what will almost certainly be another round of “stolen” elections in December 2011 and March 2012, seems much greater than even a few months ago: a poll by the Public Opinion Foundation showed that an unprecedented 49 percent of Russians are ready to take part in protest rallies. Russia’s OSCE partners, including the United States, should make it abundantly clear to Kremlin leadership — now — that any use of force against peaceful protesters is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

Mar 10, 2011 11:58:00 AM EST