Navalny's advice on living right
This election meme features a portrait of opposition leader Aleksei Navalny and a fake quote on a life well-lived.
"Live your life such that dictators are afraid to pronounce your name and snowdrifts disappear in its presence." A. A. Navalny
- By Mike Eckel
Russian Balloting In U.S., Too (But Only At Diplomatic Missions)
Times being what they are, it was unclear how Russian citizens who are living in the United States and who wanted to participate in next month's presidential election would be able to do so. One Russian newspaper reported last month that efforts to set up provisional polling places in places like a hotel in Los Angeles had been thwarted by expat Russians who consider the vote to be sham.
But the Russian Embassy in Washington announced on February 21 that in fact there will be places for Russians to cast ballots on March 18. The catch is, they'll only be at Russian diplomatic facilities. Aside from the embassy, that will only include the consulates in Seattle, Houston, and New York. (Russia used to have another facility in San Francisco, but that was ordered closed last year amid spiraling tensions between Washington and Moscow).
Former world tennis No. 1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov appears to be backing the election boycott.
- By Carl Schreck
The Battle Over Turnout
Navalny deputy Volkov says they've tracked more than 100 cases of "illegal" attempts to raise turnout, including selfie contests.
Current Time TV visited a dog breeder who is frustrated that she can't vote for her preferred candidate, barred opposition leader Navalny. It's in Russian.
Moscow reportedly plans to spend 50 million rubles ($883,500) to direct voters toward polling places and festoon and otherwise decorate the voting stations, says Vedomosti. (In Russian)
- By Andy Heil
Putin Critic Fined, But Pledges More Protest Art
Our Russian Service interviewed an activist and Putin critic who plans to continue his protest actions despite a 10,000-ruble fine from a Moscow court on February 19 for a piece of performance art that he called "Doodle." Viktor Pashin was detained by police at Lubyanka Square, the headquarters of the former KGB and its successor, the Federal Security Service (FSB), on February 18 while marching around in a zorb emblazoned with "Putin" on it and balloons that said "enough" and "rot" floating above him. He said it was a criticism of the "cheating" and oligarchic elite that victimize average citizens.
He also vows to act within the law and says, "I hope I won't be detained."
Here's RFE's clip of the protest:
Russian Claims U.S. Planning To Meddle
Izvestia says Andrei Manoilo, a member of the academic board of the Russian Security Council, a presidential advisory body, asserted in a recent report that the United States is trying to interfere in the Russian election. Manoilo reportedly argues -- without providing evidence, judging by the interview -- that Washington views March 18 as a "historic opportunity" for such an intervention. Moscow should begin preparations to resist those efforts, he adds.
Manoilo says "an information war" is one of Washington's main tools to try and foil Moscow's return to international relevance.
Manoilo goes on to allege that Washington has "stepped up its intervention in the Russian Federation's internal affairs since President Vladimir Putin came to power."
The Price Of Freedom
Leonid Volkov, a top Navalny associate, summed up in one tweet the national costs to noncandidate Navalny's team for its "fight for fair elections" in Russia:
"Updated data (yesterday's were incomplete): The fight for fair elections has cost us
2433 days under arrest
13.4 million rubles in fines
3343 hours of mandatory labor"
Volkov then notes that another Navalny aide, Roman Rubanov, was about to be sentenced (he was given a 10-day sentence).
- By Mike Eckel
Estonian Intelligence Calls Russian Election 'Piece Of Theater'
Five decades of Soviet occupation and a sizable population of ethnic Russians provides Estonia with plenty of insight about its neighbor to the east. So an Estonian intelligence report that doesn't pull any punches about the upcoming Russian presidential election is worth a read.
The Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service's third public report says:
The world is witnessing a carefully choreographed piece of theater that attempts to leave the impression of free elections. But behind the scenes, a cynical plan is being executed to ensure Putin and his inner circle retain their grip on power for yet another term.
It goes on to describe Ksenia Sobchak, the TV personality and presidential challenger who has arguably generated the most buzz to date, as a fake candidate:
Sobchak's criticisms of the government are entirely safe as far as the Kremlin is concerned and her political agenda is perfect material for the appearance of an open public debate.
Anticorruption crusader and barred candidate Aleksei Navalny, on the other hand, is praised for harnessing growing Russian discontent:
This provides a grateful audience for an opposition leader who speaks openly about problems and creates opportunities to protest against them.