On Vladimir Putin's resignation
The first meeting of the Political Council of the Solidarity opposition movement on February 13 will discuss a plan to combat the economic crisis. The movement's leaders have already declared that the "main component of the Russian crisis" is the Putin Government and have urged President Dmitry Medvedev to fire him at once.
The Political Council of the Solidarity opposition movement (created on December 13, 2008) will have its first meeting on February 13. The Political Council includes more than 30 democrats and the first meeting is expected to last an entire day. In addition to organisational matters, which include the creation of regional branches and election of the movement's executive director, one of the key topics will be the discussion of plans to combat the economic crisis. They have already been unveiled by Political Council members Garry Kasparov, Vladimir Milov, and Boris Nemtsov as an alternative to the "unviable anti-crisis measures of the Government".
They claim that the crisis in Russia is worse than expected and the main reason for this is "Putin's model of the state order". "Citizens will be writhing in agony while the national leader stages a national experiment," declared Boris Nemtsov, who stressed that "the main anti-crisis measures should be the immediate resignation of Vladimir Putin and his Government" followed by political reform.
Garry Kasparov elaborated that Putin's vertical power structure would be liquidated, elections would be held "from top to bottom", a national coalition government would be created, and censorship would be abolished.
When asked by Kommersant about how the movement intended to bring about the Prime Minister's resignation, Boris Nemtsov declared that Solidarity was categorically against a revolution, but added that "if Putin remains in power, it would be a bloody scenario. We are thus ready to cooperate with anyone on the anti-crisis measures - even with President Medvedev, although his legitimacy is suspect." Mr Kasparov added that the left-wing opposition was also calling for the Prime Minister's resignation.
In terms of economic measures to combat the crisis (that part of the plan was prepared by Vladimir Milov, an expert) Solidarity's proposals are in many ways consistent with the views of Boris Titov, co-chairman of the Right Cause and the head of Delovaya Rossia. Like the members of Solidarity, he is categorically opposed to Government bailouts of large corporations and banks. "Targeted support for individual big companies that have pursued irresponsible policies, bought everything that came along, and built up debts is not getting us anywhere," Mr Titov said earlier. "If the Government continues to waste money instead of dealing with the economy, the rouble will fall still further and the end of the crisis will continue to be nowhere in sight."
Opposition forces outside parliament have the same message, only they use tougher language. Mr Nemtsov described Government aid to "groups of oligarchs and Vladimir Putin's "cronies" as "particularly cynical" and as "high treason", stressing that small and medium-size enterprises rather than privileged companies should be supported. Both the co-chairman of the Right Cause and radical opposition have called for "tax holidays for small and medium-size businesses". "Yes, our economic demands are similar to those of the Right Cause, but the difference is that we call for Putin's resignation and they do not," Garry Kasparov told Kommersant.
Solidarity's demands have proved to be more radical than those of any other opposition groups. The Presidium of the People's Democratic Union, headed by Mikhail Kasyanov, published a list of top Government officials personally responsible for the dire consequences of the crisis back in December. At the top of the list were Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin, though the PDU has not called for their resignation. In a recent TV link with Chelyabinsk, however, Mr Kasyanov declared that "the policy pursued by Vladimir Putin in recent years has brought the country to impasse" from which the only way out is a free election, adding that "if the authorities persevere in their delusions, the country will reach the brink of a revolution".
Maria-Luiza Tirmaste