Russian Laws on Political Parties Might Be Liberalized in Future - Medvedev
file photoGORKI, Moscow region. Nov 26 (Interfax) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has suggested that the Russian laws on political parties could be made somewhat more flexible and liberal in the future.
"I do not share the view that we have a unipolar world. We have seven parties, and their successful or unsuccessful performance eventually depends on how the people decide to vote," Medvedev said at a meeting with journalists from provinces. Asked whether it would make sense to set up the second ruling party, Medvedev replied, "It is impossible to create a party and say: 'Well, this is the second ruling party, and you, the people of Russia, are obliged to vote for it'."
"This would be the worst possible parody on democracy," he said.
Medvedev admitted that the qualification criteria for political parties were made quite rigid some time ago. "Perhaps we could somewhat relax them at some moment," he said.
There should not be too many parties in the country, because "this splits the people's perception about who should represent their interests," he said.
"An absolutely diffused political picture" was characteristic of the 1990s, when there were about 40 parties and the parliament was inefficient, Medvedev said.
"And the people's interests were ignored, because they voted for some pipsqueaks that had no chances to qualify" for the parliament, he said.
