Russia is a democracy?

[The Mad Hatter]

Maybe for those who support Comrade Putin.

Russian police seized 100,000 copies of a book critical of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin that activists planned to hand out at the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum.

Copies of 'Putin. The Results. 10 Years on', written by opposition politicians Boris Nemtsov and Vladimir Milov were "intended for participants of the forum", starting Thursday, according to Olga Kurnosova, head of the city's branch of the opposition United Civic Front, said.

The reasons for the seizure "are not very clear", she said.

The book, which has a total print-run of one million copies, aims to "tell the truth about the real results of the leadership of Putin and the tandem", Mr Nemtsov, a former deputy prime minister, wrote in his blog on Monday.
...

[Holman]

Maybe the 100,000 copies were helpfully seized in order to build a cushion for when the journalist falls out a window.

[Fretmute]

Maybe the 100,000 copies were helpfully seized in order to build a cushion for when the journalist falls out a window.

[Matrix]

yes its "democracy" all right, as long as there is no fun to be made about leaders.

I am actually surprised they even printed that book.

If you will ever see Russian tv, there is not a joke, not a wiff of criticism of current politics. There is plenty of humor, but very little that would make fun of government. Its more of Lough with, then lough at.

[paulbaxter]

The only time there was anything resembling democracy in Russia was in the waning years of the old empire. There was some degree of anarchy, and continues to be, I imagine, under Yeltsin, but as a rule Russian citizens do not participate in the governmental process.

I recently read Casino Moscow, by Matthew Brzezinsky, which paints a rather interesting portrait of Russia in Yeltsin's time.

[Isgrimnur]

CNBC

Russia’s government resigned Wednesday to make way for major new constitutional changes, according to the Tass state news agency, citing Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

Without giving much detail, the news agency said President Vladimir Putin thanked Medvedev’s government for its work. The move was reportedly made so Putin can carry out sweeping constitutional changes he spoke about at his annual address just hours earlier.
...
Later, Russian news agencies reported that Putin wants to appoint Mikhail Mishustin, the head of Russia’s Federal Tax Service, as the new Prime Minister.

News of the governmnet resignation came after Putin’s annual address to lawmakers. The Russian leader proposed a national vote on constitutional changes that would push power toward the prime minister and the parliament, and away from the presidency. It’s seen as potentially limiting the power of Putin’s successor if he steps down in 2024.

[Smoove_B]

Entire governments resigning is totally a normal thing now.

[NickAragua]

Seems symbolic, since they will be continuing their roles until replaced.

[malchior]

If you were wondering what blatantly transparent plan they'd hatch to keep him power. The big mystery is why for whatever reason they manage to still have a constitution where he isn't eligible to run at periods of time. Odd that they haven't dealt with that. Too obvious I suppose.

Facing term limits, why not devolve power to parliament, empower a Prime Minister, and then have everyone resign so that he can put yourself in that role. In the end no more pesky term limits to deal with.

[Isgrimnur]

NY Times

At the urging of President Vladimir V. Putin, Russia’s lower house of Parliament passed legislation Tuesday allowing him to run for a fifth term as president.

Mr. Putin, who is 67 years old and was first elected in 2000, noted that the legislation would still have to be approved by Russia’s Constitutional Court and in a nationwide plebiscite in April.

But in Russia’s tightly controlled political system, Tuesday’s choreographed flurry of events was the clearest sign yet that after 20 years as president or prime minister, Mr. Putin is preparing to stay in the Kremlin for, perhaps, the rest of his life.

If he serves two additional terms, Mr. Putin will have held the nation’s highest office for 32 years, longer than Stalin but still short of Peter the Great, who reigned for 43 years.
...
In January he proposed some murky constitutional changes that analysts said pointed to his intention to stay beyond the end of his current term.

But on Tuesday, Mr. Putin seemed to throw caution to the wind, saying he had supported the proposed legislation for the good of the country and its security. The president is the guarantor “of the security of our state, of its internal stability — its internal, evolutionary stability,” Mr. Putin said. “And I mean evolutionary. We’ve had enough revolutions.”

[Daehawk]

The people went through much to change it and the next gen allows one guy to throw it all away again.

[Isgrimnur]

Stability is preferable to freedom to entirely too many people.

[El Guapo]

Stability is preferable to freedom to entirely too many people.

Well, also the Russian people aren't really being consulted anymore. That ship sailed a long time ago.