Charges that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and his United Russia party dominate the country's politics are unfair, State Duma officials told Europe's leading parliamentary assembly Thursday.
Critics overlook that the opposition got more votes in [last month's] elections than in 2007, Liberal Democrat deputy Leonid Slutsky said during a debate at the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly, or PACE, in Strasbourg, Interfax reported.
Slutsky currently heads the Russian delegation to PACE and was elected one of the assembly's deputy presidents earlier this week.
He argued that the fact that an opposition party member is leading the Russian delegation shows the weakness of critics' arguments. Led by veteran nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the Liberal Democrats have in the past been accused of toeing the Kremlin line.
Svetlana Goryacheva, a deputy for the Just Russia party, which has supported the opposition protests, praised Putin for keeping the country intact.
"Today you criticize Putin, but precisely his policies saved Russia from falling to pieces," she was cited as saying by Interfax.
The assembly held a special debate on "Russia between two elections," which was tabled in the wake of the mass protests following the Dec. 4 vote.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.