Medvedev's talks with opposition seen as bid to undermine protests

PRESIDENT DMITRY Medvedev met Russian opposition leaders yesterday to discuss reform of the country’s political system, in a move critics dismissed as a bid to undermine anti-government protests ahead of next month’s election.

The meeting took place as a state-run polling agency predicted that prime minister Vladimir Putin would win the March 4th vote in the first round, and replace Mr Medvedev in the Kremlin four years after constitutional limits forced him to step down following two terms as president.

“Our political system is of course far from ideal, and most of those here criticise it, and sometimes in very harsh terms,” Mr Medvedev told opposition figures ranging from veteran liberal Boris Nemtsov to far-left activist Sergei Udaltsov.

Mr Medvedev said he had tried to change elements of Russia’s political system: “But now, in my opinion, the time has come to work on this more actively,” he added.

Mr Medvedev was quick to propose reform of Russia’s tightly controlled politics when alleged vote-rigging during last December’s parliamentary election triggered the biggest street protests of Mr Putin’s 12 years in power.

Sceptics said the proposals were a hurried attempt to quell criticism of the “managed democracy” built by Mr Putin and his allies, and opponents of Russia’s rulers said yesterday’s meeting was also aimed at weakening the opposition movement.

Ilya Yashin, an ally of Mr Nemtsov, called the gathering of non-parliamentary leaders an attempt to “blur the real opposition with fake organisations” and said most of the invitees “had been taken out of mothballs or brought from who knows where. Their organisations don’t really exist.”

Mr Nemtsov said he had urged Mr Medvedev to amend the constitution to prevent anyone serving three terms as president – as Mr Putin is doing now.

“He said he would seriously think about it and that it was fully possible,” Mr Nemtsov added.

It is almost unimaginable that Mr Medvedev would try to block his mentor’s return to the Kremlin, however, and Mr Udaltsov said “no serious breakthroughs were made at the meeting, although we did discuss important questions”.

Mr Medvedev ordered the creation of a working group to prepare legislation on political reform, which will include those present at the meeting and members of parliamentary blocs like the ruling United Russia party and the Communists.

Supporters and opponents of Mr Putin were yesterday finalising plans for major rallies later this week in Moscow and other cities, as a state-run polling agency predicted that the premier would win the election in the first round with almost 59 per cent of votes.

Critics expect widespread vote-rigging and say overwhelming media bias towards Mr Putin means the election is already tainted.

In his latest campaign newspaper article, Mr Putin pledged yesterday to boost investment in the armed forces to protect Russia from foreign threats – particularly a planned US missile-defence system in central Europe.

“On this matter there can be no such thing as too much patriotism,” he wrote.