Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-12-10-Speech-1-045"
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"en.20071210.15.1-045"2
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"Mr President, it is difficult to describe the parliamentary elections in Russia that have just ended as anything other than a bad joke at the expense of democracy. The results from the area of Chechnya, where there was 99% turnout and support for United Russia, are particularly disturbing.
The example of the Chechens is symptomatic. People living in that country have no reason to vote for Putin’s team. The immensity of the suffering they have experienced from that team has been mentioned on numerous occasions. Virtually 100% turnout and support for a governing group does not happen in any democratic country. On the other hand it does vividly remind us of elections in totalitarian states.
There are further similarities. The elections revealed that there is no longer any place for an opposition in Russia. Freedom of speech is restricted and the media are controlled by the state. The category of political prisoners is making a return. This category is made up of those who have the courage to speak out openly against the regime, and democracy is becoming a facade behind which that pure-as-the-driven-snow democrat Putin can do exactly as he likes."@en1
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