| President Putin's state-of-the-nation address was the
subject of Russian NTV's "Freedom of Speech" discussion programme
on 28 May, hosted by Savvik Shuster and with a panel of experts that consisted
of Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov, Head of the Duma Property Committee
and member of the United Russia faction Viktor Pleskachevsky, leader of
the Motherland (Rodina) bloc Dmitry Rogozin, another United Russia man
and Duma Deputy Speaker Georgy Boos, YABLOKO leader Grigory
Yavlinsky, member of the Duma Gennady Raikov and some others in the
audience.
The theme raised in Putin's state of the nation address which opened the debate
was the question of a free society. Grigory Yavlinsky's comment was applauded
by the audience: "I feel a free man in a society that isn't free."
In his comments on an opinion poll which suggests that more than three-quarters
of all Russians approve of Putin's performance to date, Yavlinsky thought
that little if anything had been achieved in reality.
The high percentage of support for Putin, he said, "has two ingredients.
The main one is hope, and the other, to a degree, the fact that, due to
oil prices, pensions and pay have gone up a little. In general, however,
our life has changed little. There have been few changes for the better,
in such terms as, for example, corruption, security, employment, the employment
structure, free speech or freedom of activity such as small and medium-sized
business. So while the president is good, our life isn't. There we have
it."
Criticism
Support for Putin came from Boos and Pleskachevskiy. But there was outspoken
criticism of the Putin address on the points mentioned or omitted fromthe
speech. Below are some examples.
Political scientist Dmitry Oreshkin said: "The goals were mutually
exclusive. I fail to see how there can be lower inflation and, at the
same time, higher growth. I fail to see how we can undertake major social
projects in education and health care and, at the same time, bring the
armed forces up to date. I fail to see how we can do without public organizations
or, in fact, talk about their development and, at the same
time, reinforce state control over these organisations."
And regional politician Oleg Sysuyev said: "The president confirmed
that the power structure that has been erected enables him to talk about
technical matters, and to talk about everything but say nothing. Not to
talk about the things that really concern society, which are Chechnya,
corruption, courts and prosecutors that work to order. And, at the same
time, talk at length about freedom, talk at length about democracy. It
seems to me that a solution to the main issue, which is how to build a
civic society as a means towards prosperity, is a long way away yet, which
this confirmed."
Irina Yasina, of Open Russia, added: "The onslaught on non-governmental
organizations ... is, in my view, a monstrous thing to do."
Rogozin
In his speech, Rogozin criticized the government, as distinct from the
president. We have a government responsible for the implementation of
the goals, "which people from United Russia, whose representatives
are here in the studio, like. We don't. I don't trust either Kudrin or
Gref. Or Zurabov [Finance Minister Aleksei Kudrin, Economic Development
and Trade Minister German Gref, and Health and Social Development Minister
Mikhail Zurabov]. They have been in power for far too long.
"In his recent speech, for example, Kudrin said that we would be
able to join the World Trade Organization, which, by the way, will adversely
affect our manufacturers. In exchange, we'll ratify the Kyoto Protocol.
All this is in the interests of the West, in the interests of the Western
economy.
As far as we are concerned, there is no benefit.
"Why should we up oil output, which will lower the price of oil,
as Kudrin says? On the contrary, it is in our interests to be the only
country in the world which has some oil and gas left." He called
for economic
diversification to move away from reliance on the export of raw materials.
Industry, agriculture and the service sector should be given priority.
Zyuganov
Zyuganov's comments, as remarked by a participant, were in the form
of "slogans". Putin-s speech failed to mention much that is
essential, such as the need to develop industry, support agriculture and
provide social protection for the population, Zyuganov said.
"My main impression from the message is that it is a smoke screen"
behind which some "very drastic" policies will be implemented
to the detriment of the populace.
Yavlinsky
The darling of the audience, Yavlinsky picked up on the lack of specifics
in the president's address.
"Yes, it can be done," he said about Putin's goals. "Yes,
GDP can be doubled. However, this will be growth without development,
as we saw in the past in the Soviet Union: we increase the production
of cast iron or steel but cannot build a PC."
In his very caustic comments, Putin, he charged, said nothing about
how to resolve crises in the provision of welfare.
He went on: "Did the president say that private property is inviolable?
Did he say that?"
"Did he say that the courts must have absolute independence? Did
he say that? And did he say that Russia must have independent TV, public
TV, public as in one that doesn't depend on the whim of the state or the
whim of an oligarch? Public as in one, for example, which has ... real
political news that does not aim to promote those in power and to moronize
the masses?"
"Finally, do you not think that when he spoke about civic society,
he for example did not say: yes, I disagree with many things but I am
ready to engage in dialogue with civic society - its political parties
and public organizations - ... instead of making life a nightmare for
them and saying how terrible it is that they are funded from abroad, and
so on."
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