| "The self-proclaimed nomination of Irina Khakamada
as a presidential candidate represents provocation by the Kremlin. The
only person to benefit is Vladimir Putin, as he has to create the impression
that democratic forces are participating in the presidential campaign,
a campaign which will obviously be dishonest and not free," political
scientist and member of the Federal Council of the Russian democratic Party
YABLOKO Boris Vishnevsky told
ZAKS.RU correspondent.
According to Vishnevsky, the "typical SPS intrigues" followed
right after the decision passed by the SPS and YABLOKO not to participate
in this election campaign (as a general candidate was not agreed upon):
first, Irina Khakamada nominated her own candidacy saying that this was
taking place without the agreement with her party, and then it transpired
that Boris Nemtsov would help her collect signatures and finally YABLOKO
was criticised for refusing to support a democratic candidate. Boris Vishnevsky
also noted that, first, Irina Khakamada has no chance of gaining a reasonable
number of votes; second, "Irina Mitsuovna is not the person able
to gather the democratic electorate around her," and, third, the
candidate to the post of the President should be reminded of her "active
support
for Vladimir Putin and the war in Chechnya in 1999, and Valentina Matviyenko
at the gubernatorial elections in St. Petersburg in 2003." "Irina
Khakamada has only a very
far-fetched link to democracy, and one can only wonder how she can claim
for support from YABLOKO. YABLOKO is not going to help those providing
services to Vladimir Putin," stressed Boris Vishnevsky.
See also:
Presidential elections
2004
YABLOKO and SPS
|
