Putin Allegation About Opposition "a Little Devious" — Leftist Leader
Interfax - 3.8.12 - JRL 2012-45
MOSCOW. March 8 (Interfax) - Prime Minister and President-elect Vladimir Putin's claim that Russia's opposition has no "constructive program for national development" is "a little devious," a left-wing opposition leader said.
"We formulated our principal grievances and demands ages ago. If Putin has in mind a more extensive program for solving social and economic problems, we are willing - we have been speaking about this for a long time - to (attend) a roundtable with the participation of members of government and opposition," Left Front leader Sergei Udaltsov told Interfax.
Earlier, Putin had told reporters he had never tried to avoid a dialogue with the opposition but that he expected the latter to come up with "a constructive program for national development" first.
"It is an unlimited range of subjects," said Udaltsov, "one in which one can drown so we are focusing on urgent problems, political reforms and honest elections."
"Putin is being a little devious when he hypes the idea that we have no constructive agenda," Udaltsov said. He said that, at a recent meeting with President Dmitry Medvedev, leaders of opposition parties that have been denied official registration put forward "a specific agenda" and "specific proposals."
"It's about time we saw some reciprocal specific steps from government - we have never ruled out dialogue," Udaltsov said.
Keywords: Russia, Government, Politics - Russia News - Russia
MOSCOW. March 8 (Interfax) - Prime Minister and President-elect Vladimir Putin's claim that Russia's opposition has no "constructive program for national development" is "a little devious," a left-wing opposition leader said.
"We formulated our principal grievances and demands ages ago. If Putin has in mind a more extensive program for solving social and economic problems, we are willing - we have been speaking about this for a long time - to (attend) a roundtable with the participation of members of government and opposition," Left Front leader Sergei Udaltsov told Interfax.
Earlier, Putin had told reporters he had never tried to avoid a dialogue with the opposition but that he expected the latter to come up with "a constructive program for national development" first.
"It is an unlimited range of subjects," said Udaltsov, "one in which one can drown so we are focusing on urgent problems, political reforms and honest elections."
"Putin is being a little devious when he hypes the idea that we have no constructive agenda," Udaltsov said. He said that, at a recent meeting with President Dmitry Medvedev, leaders of opposition parties that have been denied official registration put forward "a specific agenda" and "specific proposals."
"It's about time we saw some reciprocal specific steps from government - we have never ruled out dialogue," Udaltsov said.