Komsomolskaya Pravda: "Prime minister: 'People trust their government ‘despite weariness’"
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin commented on the results of the March 13 regional elections during his visit to Tomsk. He spoke as the United Russia party leader.
He said the results were "more than satisfactory for United Russia."
"First, United Russia won in all regions where elections were held," Putin said. "It is the leading political force in these regions. The number of votes dropped a bit – by about 1% – in some regions. However, I think this was not the result of systemic problems but rather of a lack of coordination in United Russia itself. Nothing out of the ordinary here: to get positive results, party members have to improve their image and the choice of candidates."
Support for United Russia was even higher than in 2007 despite the recent financial crisis that Russia has only just overcome, he noted, adding that many people are still suffering from the effects of the downturn.
"Votes totaled 46.2% this year compared to about 46% in 2007," he explained. "This margin is small, but it is still growth, which shows people's confidence in the party's management of the crisis and means that, despite their weariness and the many problems they face, people have responded positively to the actions of the authorities."
Reporters asked Putin if he plans to head the party roster at the Duma elections.
"It is too early to speak about the Duma elections," he said. "They will be held in December, as you know."
He also commented on the rumours of possible pollution spreading from the Japanese Fukushima nuclear power plant after the accident.
He reassured the journalists that the threat was largely exaggerated.
"Judging by the information that we have received, our specialists are sure there is no danger for Russia," he said, adding that Russia is not going to change its plans to build more nuclear power plants.
Andrei Lvov
