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The speaker of the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament, Valentina Matviyenko, has forecast a diminishment of protests in the country for lack of any substantive socio-economic precursors, as well as a compelling programme from opposition leaders. She also doubted that the US Magnitskiy bill would achieve anything constructive and dismissed speculations that the senator-mum of a prominent opposition leader was being persecuted for her daughter's civic activity. She made her comments in an interview with the Interfax news agency, which published excerpts in separate reports on 12 July. The full text of the interview will be published on the agency's website at www.interfax.ru.

file photo
On protests and opposition leaders

Matviyenko said that she doubted that the existing opposition leaders had the moral credentials to champion a protest movement.

"I think that people who are vying for opposition leadership roles have to be completely honest and clear from the point of view of reputation. Only this gives a moral right to not only lead people, but also to criticize the authorities," she said.

To this end, she supposed that "judging by everything, today's oppositionists have only a handful of truly like-minded associates. No-one is stopping them from creating a party or offering their programme for the development of the country, but all of their vigorous activity doesn't spread past Sadovoye koltso (ring road in central Moscow)."

She lambasted protest leaders for failing to come up with an articulate set of proposals in the wake of the December 2011 protests, when "there was a specific agenda - this was a protest of people who believed that the (parliamentary) election was dishonest and unfair". She pointed out that "the authorities heard the protesters, a series of laws on political and electoral system reform were passed".

However, after the December rallies, there has been "no specific political agenda. Why did the opposition not draw up such an agenda and present it to the authorities, to the public, engage in a dialogue?" Matviyenko wondered

"It would be good for society to finally hear exactly what protesters want, because all we hear is 'away with all and sundry', 'everyone's a thief, everyone's corrupt'," she said. Accordingly, she argued hat "rallies for the sake of rallies are pointless. The absolute majority of people will not follow such slogans. So I do not think that protest sentiments will grow as some political analysts are predicting, but on the contrary - they will only diminish".

Further to the lack of sound political opposition leadership, she said that there were no socio-economic precursors to fuel protest moods. "We have no drop in wages or pensions, as it happened in Greece, for example. On the contrary - wages are increasing. Perhaps slower than we would like to see, but there is growth. Pensions are rising, welfare payments are not being slashed, programmes for social support for low-income families are continuing, unemployment is falling," she said. As regards the growth in utilities tariffs from 1 July, she supposed that while "always a painful thing", this would not be enough to cause mass unrest. "More serious grounds are needed," she supposed.

At the same time, she admitted that the conduct of the authorities was far from perfect. To mitigate adverse public perception and attitudes, she called on officials to "be closer to the people, to be open and frank - they have to be able to, and most importantly have no fear about explaining their actions to the people, so as to turn them into their supporters in implementing certain decisions and carrying out reforms".

On the Magnitskiy bill

Matviyenko criticized prominent opposition politicians Boris Nemtsov and Mikhail Kasyanov for their role in pushing for the adoption of the Magnitskiy bill in the USA. "If Kasyanov and Nemtsov are proud of the fact that they lobbied through this Magnitskiy bill - that's their right. However any person of sound mind will say today that the situation with human rights is far from the worst in Russia, that the authorities are taking specific steps for the further democratization of the country's public and political life," she contended. Moreover, she said that "going abroad to do harm to your country is some sort of sadomasochism" and instead called on the oppositionists to use domestic political mechanisms to fight for their political beliefs.

As regards her views on the actions of the US side when it comes to this initiative, Matviyenko described it as "undoubtedly a political decision, an unfriendly step with respect to our country". Moreover, she slammed the US authorities for "putting together lists over there, beyond the ocean, without trial and investigation".

She also doubted that the USA expected to achieve any meaningful results with the move. "The Magnitskiy bill was conceived as a sort of scarecrow and if US officials seriously think that any Russian politician or official has been frightened, they are deeply mistaken. In the States, they know just as well as we do that those who have sullied themselves have long since settled in that country, and in London, and in other European capitals," she said. She also voiced the suggestion that it may be electioneering on the part of Republicans, since "it was precisely Republican representatives who initiated this unfortunate list".

On tensions at the Federation Council

Matviyenko dismissed speculations that senator Lyudmila Narusova, the mother of TV host and prominent opposition activist Kseniya Sobchak, was facing pressure at the Federation Council.

"I don't know why Lyudmila Borisovna (Narusova) decided that she is facing some sort of persecution. What do this entail? Perhaps these are some sort of pre-emptive measures on her part - if she isn't reconfirmed in autumn when her term expires, she will be able to cite suitable grounds for this," she told Interfax.

She elaborated: "What pressure is there to speak of? From whom? From me? But do not have and never have had any dictatorial habits. I am just the speaker and chair sessions in accordance with procedure. I do not have the right to pressure anyone, and this is not in my habit."

Commenting more widely on the work of the Federation Council, she assured: "We, as senators, are mature and self-sufficient people who have our own opinions. No-one ever pressures us. It is another matter that we can call our governor or a law-making body that we represent and convey our doubts about a certain disputed law. Because we are delegates of Russian constituent parts, which can say that a particular law does not suit the region".

Keywords: Russia, Government, Politics - Russian News - Russia

 

The speaker of the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament, Valentina Matviyenko, has forecast a diminishment of protests in the country for lack of any substantive socio-economic precursors, as well as a compelling programme from opposition leaders. She also doubted that the US Magnitskiy bill would achieve anything constructive and dismissed speculations that the senator-mum of a prominent opposition leader was being persecuted for her daughter's civic activity. She made her comments in an interview with the Interfax news agency, which published excerpts in separate reports on 12 July. The full text of the interview will be published on the agency's website at www.interfax.ru.

file photo
On protests and opposition leaders

Matviyenko said that she doubted that the existing opposition leaders had the moral credentials to champion a protest movement.

"I think that people who are vying for opposition leadership roles have to be completely honest and clear from the point of view of reputation. Only this gives a moral right to not only lead people, but also to criticize the authorities," she said.

To this end, she supposed that "judging by everything, today's oppositionists have only a handful of truly like-minded associates. No-one is stopping them from creating a party or offering their programme for the development of the country, but all of their vigorous activity doesn't spread past Sadovoye koltso (ring road in central Moscow)."

She lambasted protest leaders for failing to come up with an articulate set of proposals in the wake of the December 2011 protests, when "there was a specific agenda - this was a protest of people who believed that the (parliamentary) election was dishonest and unfair". She pointed out that "the authorities heard the protesters, a series of laws on political and electoral system reform were passed".

However, after the December rallies, there has been "no specific political agenda. Why did the opposition not draw up such an agenda and present it to the authorities, to the public, engage in a dialogue?" Matviyenko wondered

"It would be good for society to finally hear exactly what protesters want, because all we hear is 'away with all and sundry', 'everyone's a thief, everyone's corrupt'," she said. Accordingly, she argued hat "rallies for the sake of rallies are pointless. The absolute majority of people will not follow such slogans. So I do not think that protest sentiments will grow as some political analysts are predicting, but on the contrary - they will only diminish".

Further to the lack of sound political opposition leadership, she said that there were no socio-economic precursors to fuel protest moods. "We have no drop in wages or pensions, as it happened in Greece, for example. On the contrary - wages are increasing. Perhaps slower than we would like to see, but there is growth. Pensions are rising, welfare payments are not being slashed, programmes for social support for low-income families are continuing, unemployment is falling," she said. As regards the growth in utilities tariffs from 1 July, she supposed that while "always a painful thing", this would not be enough to cause mass unrest. "More serious grounds are needed," she supposed.

At the same time, she admitted that the conduct of the authorities was far from perfect. To mitigate adverse public perception and attitudes, she called on officials to "be closer to the people, to be open and frank - they have to be able to, and most importantly have no fear about explaining their actions to the people, so as to turn them into their supporters in implementing certain decisions and carrying out reforms".

On the Magnitskiy bill

Matviyenko criticized prominent opposition politicians Boris Nemtsov and Mikhail Kasyanov for their role in pushing for the adoption of the Magnitskiy bill in the USA. "If Kasyanov and Nemtsov are proud of the fact that they lobbied through this Magnitskiy bill - that's their right. However any person of sound mind will say today that the situation with human rights is far from the worst in Russia, that the authorities are taking specific steps for the further democratization of the country's public and political life," she contended. Moreover, she said that "going abroad to do harm to your country is some sort of sadomasochism" and instead called on the oppositionists to use domestic political mechanisms to fight for their political beliefs.

As regards her views on the actions of the US side when it comes to this initiative, Matviyenko described it as "undoubtedly a political decision, an unfriendly step with respect to our country". Moreover, she slammed the US authorities for "putting together lists over there, beyond the ocean, without trial and investigation".

She also doubted that the USA expected to achieve any meaningful results with the move. "The Magnitskiy bill was conceived as a sort of scarecrow and if US officials seriously think that any Russian politician or official has been frightened, they are deeply mistaken. In the States, they know just as well as we do that those who have sullied themselves have long since settled in that country, and in London, and in other European capitals," she said. She also voiced the suggestion that it may be electioneering on the part of Republicans, since "it was precisely Republican representatives who initiated this unfortunate list".

On tensions at the Federation Council

Matviyenko dismissed speculations that senator Lyudmila Narusova, the mother of TV host and prominent opposition activist Kseniya Sobchak, was facing pressure at the Federation Council.

"I don't know why Lyudmila Borisovna (Narusova) decided that she is facing some sort of persecution. What do this entail? Perhaps these are some sort of pre-emptive measures on her part - if she isn't reconfirmed in autumn when her term expires, she will be able to cite suitable grounds for this," she told Interfax.

She elaborated: "What pressure is there to speak of? From whom? From me? But do not have and never have had any dictatorial habits. I am just the speaker and chair sessions in accordance with procedure. I do not have the right to pressure anyone, and this is not in my habit."

Commenting more widely on the work of the Federation Council, she assured: "We, as senators, are mature and self-sufficient people who have our own opinions. No-one ever pressures us. It is another matter that we can call our governor or a law-making body that we represent and convey our doubts about a certain disputed law. Because we are delegates of Russian constituent parts, which can say that a particular law does not suit the region".

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