Putin escalates grab for dictatorial powers

Russian President, Vladimir Putin has used the most monstrous 
of all terrorist attacks, the unspeakable atrocity committed 
against the children, teachers and parents at the Beslan school 
in South Ossetia recently, to announce plans to further 
centralise his authority and restrict the activities of political 
parties.

His plans for "radical restructuring" of the political system 
give him the power to appoint the governors of regions and 
restrict the election of representatives to the Duma to those 
standing on Party lists.

At present half the Duma's 450 representatives are elected to 
individual district seats and the other half are from party lists 
with the number based on the proportion of votes the party 
receives. There is a minimum threshold of five percent of the 
vote to be given any seats.

Putin is going to abolish the district seats; all candidates must 
appear on a party list. Only four parties qualified for seats in 
the party-list half, including the Communist Party and Putin's 
United Russia. All of the independents and representatives from 
other parties were elected from districts.

Using arguments similar to those heard from conservative leaders 
in the capitalist countries, he claims his measures will create 
"a single chain of command" and bring about "national unity" and 
"prevent further crises".

Compliant majority

Although his plans have yet to be endorsed by the existing Duma, 
this is a foregone outcome. He already has a compliant majority 
in this Parliament.

The Putin Government has closed all independent national TV 
channels and newspapers and exiled others who defied him. Elected 
governors were thrown out of the Federation Council (the upper 
house) and Putin appointed his own "super-governors" to supervise 
the elected governors.

Putin's new moves have been condemned by Gennady Zuganov the 
leader of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and by 
the representatives of several of the "liberal" parties, but 
others have supported Putin's moves. Alexander Rutskoi, who won 
notoriety in his opposition to Yeltsin, said that "Right now 
people elect people who speak louder than others and have more 
money than others".

But these measures will have little effect on the danger of more 
terrorist acts. Instead of extending democratic rights and 
encouraging the participation of the people in government, these 
restrictions are already causing widespread disquiet in the 
course being followed by the Putin administration.

Storm clouds

At the same time, storm clouds are gathering in the Caucus region 
as Georgia falls more and more under US influence and is 
preparing for military operations against the breakaway region of 
South Ossetia. The US is training Georgian military forces and 
assault troops in preparation for war in this oil rich region.

Eduard Kokoity, President of the republic of South Ossetia, has 
been in Moscow for a week. In an interview he said that his 
republic would be incorporated in Russia, sooner or later.