democracia participativa y derechos humanos / participatory democracy & human rights

But Russians scoff at Medvedev election inquiry

Moscow, Dec. 12.─ President Dmitry Medvedev used his Facebook page Sunday to disclose that he had ordered an investigation into reports of election fraud, a statement his audience greeted with derision.

The posting quickly went viral, and it drew more than 8,000 mostly offended and even offensive comments in a little over six hours, revealing the depth of the disillusionment with Medvedev, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and their government. Tens of thousands of Russians spoke up in demonstrations across the country Saturday, protesting the Dec. 4 parliamentary elections, and they apparently had no intention of returning to their former silence.

"Shame!" was a frequent comment, along with "You're pathetic."

The commenters' posts Sunday revealed astonishing candor and courage. It's one thing to stand in a Moscow crowd of up to 40,000, according to estimates, and call for new elections. It's another matter to advertise your anger and disgust on the president's Facebook page, where it doesn't take a KGB agent to make a quick identification.

In posting on Facebook, Medvedev was attempting to respond to Russians who organized Saturday's protest online, who are angry because they suspect the election was rigged in favor of the ruling United Russia Party.

"I agree neither with the slogans, nor the statements voiced at the protests," Medvedev wrote. "Nevertheless, I have ordered checks into all the reports from polling stations, regarding the compliance with the election laws" ...

[ Full text ] 
[ More details ]