Medvedev announces vote probe ... on Facebook
Source: Agencies |
December 12, 2011, Monday
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RUSSIAN President Dmitry Medvedev announced on his Facebook page yesterday that he has ordered a probe into allegations of electoral fraud during the country's parliamentary vote on December 4.
Tens of thousands rallied in Moscow and other cities on Saturday in the largest anti-government protest in the nation's post-Soviet history to protest alleged fraud in the election and to demand the departure of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
Medvedev yesterday broke two days of silence with his Facebook comments. "I disagree with the slogans as well as with the speeches that were made at the rallies," he said, but added that he gave instruction for a check of the reports of fraud.
"Citizens of Russia have freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. People have a right to express the position that they did yesterday. It all took place within the framework of the law," he added.
Medvedev's post generated over 2,200 mostly angry comments within an hour. "Shame!" and "We don't believe you!" were the most common.
Other Facebook users asked Medvedev whether he really disagreed with the protest's main slogan: "We're for fair elections." Some wrote that Medvedev's message made them even more determined to take part in the next planned rally against electoral fraud on December 24.
A statement from Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov gave no indication that the prime minister was about to make concessions to protesters. "We respect the point of view of the protesters, we are hearing what is being said, and we will continue to listen to them," Peskov said in a statement released late on Saturday.
That is unlikely to appease protesters who issued a list of demands at the Moscow rally, which police said was attended by 25,000 people and the organizers said attracted up to 150,000.
The demands included much more than just an investigation into the conduct of the election. They seek a rerun of the election, the sacking of Central Election Commission chief Vladimir Churov and the release of people protesters say are political prisoners.
Yesterday, several hundred nationalists rallied in Moscow, demanding a bigger say for ethnic Russians in the country's politics and marking the first anniversary of a violent nationalist riot just outside the Kremlin.
Tens of thousands rallied in Moscow and other cities on Saturday in the largest anti-government protest in the nation's post-Soviet history to protest alleged fraud in the election and to demand the departure of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
Medvedev yesterday broke two days of silence with his Facebook comments. "I disagree with the slogans as well as with the speeches that were made at the rallies," he said, but added that he gave instruction for a check of the reports of fraud.
"Citizens of Russia have freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. People have a right to express the position that they did yesterday. It all took place within the framework of the law," he added.
Medvedev's post generated over 2,200 mostly angry comments within an hour. "Shame!" and "We don't believe you!" were the most common.
Other Facebook users asked Medvedev whether he really disagreed with the protest's main slogan: "We're for fair elections." Some wrote that Medvedev's message made them even more determined to take part in the next planned rally against electoral fraud on December 24.
A statement from Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov gave no indication that the prime minister was about to make concessions to protesters. "We respect the point of view of the protesters, we are hearing what is being said, and we will continue to listen to them," Peskov said in a statement released late on Saturday.
That is unlikely to appease protesters who issued a list of demands at the Moscow rally, which police said was attended by 25,000 people and the organizers said attracted up to 150,000.
The demands included much more than just an investigation into the conduct of the election. They seek a rerun of the election, the sacking of Central Election Commission chief Vladimir Churov and the release of people protesters say are political prisoners.
Yesterday, several hundred nationalists rallied in Moscow, demanding a bigger say for ethnic Russians in the country's politics and marking the first anniversary of a violent nationalist riot just outside the Kremlin.
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