28 May 2004 02:58
Putin address taken apart in Russian NTV`s "Freedom of Speech"
President Putin's state-of-the-nation address was the subject of Russian NTV's "Freedom of
Speech" discussion programme on 28 May, hosted by Savik Shuster and with a panel of experts that consisted of
Communist leader Gennadiy Zyuganov, Duma property committee chief and One Russia member Viktor Pleskachevskiy, Rodina
bloc leader Dmitriy Rogozin, another One Russia man and Duma deputy speaker Georgiy Boos, Yabloko leader Grigoriy
Yavlinskiy, MP Gennadiy Raykov and some others in the audience.
The theme that occurred in the Putin address and that opened the debate was the question of free society. Grigoriy
Yavlinskiy's comment was applauded by the audience: "I feel a free man in a society that isn't
free." In his comments on an opinion poll which suggests more than three-quarters of all Russians approve of
Putin's performance to date, Yavlinskiy thought that little if anything had been achieved in reality.
The high percentage of support for Putin, he said, "has two ingredients. The main one is hope, and the other, to
a degree, the fact that, due to oil prices, pensions and pay have gone up a little. In general, however, our life has
changed little. There have been few changes for the better, in such terms as, for example, corruption, security,
employment, the structure of employment, free speech or freedom of activity such as small and medium-sized business. So
while the president is good, our life isn't. There we have it."
Criticism
Support for Putin came from Boos and Pleskachevskiy. But there was outspoken criticism of the Putin address as
regards the points mentioned in, or omitted from, the speech. Below are some examples.
Political scientist Dmitriy Oreshkin said: "The goals were mutually exclusive. I fail to see how there can be
lower inflation and, at the same time, higher growth. I fail to see how we can undertake major social projects in
education and health care and, at the same time, bring the armed forces up to date. I fail to see how we can do without
public organizations or, in fact, talk about their development and, at the same time, reinforce state control over these
organizations."
And regional politician Oleg Sysuyev said: "The president confirmed that the power structure that has been put
up enables him to talk about technical matters, and to talk about everything but say nothing. Not to talk about the
things that really concern society, which are Chechnya, corruption, courts and prosecutors that work to order. And, at
the same time, talk at length about freedom, talk at length about democracy. It seems to me that a solution to the main
issue, which is how to build a civic society as a means towards prosperity, is a long way away yet, which this
confirmed."
Irina Yasina, of Open Russia, added: "The onslaught on nongovernmental organizations ... is, in my view, a
monstrous thing to do."
Rogozin
In his speech, Rogozin criticized the government, as distinct from the president. In the government responsible for
the implementation of the goals, "there will be people One Russia, whose representatives are here in the studio,
likes. We don't. I don't trust either Kudrin or Gref. Or Zurabov [Finance Minister Aleksey Kudrin, Economic
Development and Trade Minister German Gref, and Health and Social Development Minister Mikhail Zurabov]. They have been
in power for far too long.
"In his recent speech, for example, Kudrin said that we would be able to join the World Trade Organization,
which, by the way, will adversely affect our manufacturers. In exchange, we'll ratify the Kyoto Protocol. All this
is in the interests of the West, in the interests of the Western economy. As far as we are concerned, this is neither
use nor ornament.
"Why should we up oil output, which will lower the price of oil, as Kudrin says? On the contrary, it is in our
interests to be the only country in the world which has some oil and gas left." He called for economic
diversification in a move away from reliance on the export of raw materials. Industry, agriculture and the service
sector should be given priority.
Zyuganov
Zyuganov's comments, as remarked by a participant, were in the form of "slogans". The Putin speech
failed to mention much that is essential, such as the need to develop industry, support agriculture and provide social
protection for the population, Zyuganov said.
"My main impression from the message is that it is a smoke screen" behind which some "very
drastic" policies will be implemented to the detriment of the populace.
Yavlinskiy
The darling of the audience, Yavlinskiy picked up on the lack of specifics in the president's address.
"Yes, it can be done," he said about Putin's goals. "Yes, GDP can be doubled. However, this will
be growth without development, like that we saw in the past in the Soviet Union: we increase the production of cast iron
or steel but cannot build a PC."
In his very caustic comments, Putin, he charged, said nothing about how to resolve crises in the provision of
welfare.
He went on: "Did the president say that private property is inviolable? Did he say that?"
"Did he say that the courts must have absolute independence? Did he say that? And did he say that Russia must
have independent TV, public TV, public as in one that doesn't depend on the whim of the state or the whim of an
oligarch? Public as in one, for example, which has ... real political news that does not aim to promote those in power
and to moronize the masses?"
"Finally, do you not think that when he spoke about civic society, he for example did not say: yes, I disagree
with many things but I am ready to engage in dialogue with civic society - its political parties and public
organizations - ... instead of making life a nightmare for them and saying how terrible it is that they are funded from
abroad, and so on."
[NTV Mir] |
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