In Moscow, candidates opposed to Putin are running — and winning
At his annual marathon news conference held on Dec. 14, Vladimir Putin claimed that the reason the presidential election won’t be competitive is because the opposition lacks a clear positive platform, preferring instead to “make noise in the streets.”
Political ineffectiveness is a regular charge against the Russian opposition, which relies on protests to call the Kremlin to account. The streets are an attractive option for the opposition — in part because it is barred from national contests by a Kremlin-controlled electoral commission. In the past, Putin has campaigned against a roster of nonthreatening challengers that neither debate nor criticize him.… Seguir leyendo »