EDITORIAL: Putin's democracy (07/23/06)

EDITORIAL

Putin's democracy

The annual summit of the Group of Eight leading industrial countries was held in St. Petersburg, founded in 1703 by Tsar Peter I, who aimed to modernize Russia and decided to build a new capital that would serve as the Russian empire's "window on Europe." It is worth noting, as the Encyclopedia of Ukraine writes, that "The development of the city was costly in human lives ... In Ukraine it became common knowledge that 'St. Petersburg was built on Kozak bones.' " Thousands of Ukrainian conscripts died during the city's construction.

It is no accident that St. Petersburg, built as an imperial showcase, was chosen as the site of the G-8 summit to serve as Russian President Vladimir Putin's showpiece. Mr. Putin was eager to show the great powers of the G-8 that Russia is one of them and that its president, too, is a powerful leader. The entire show was meant to enhance Russia's image worldwide, and Mr. Putin even hired a U.S. public relations firm to see to it that the summit exuded "Western-style openness," as The Washington Post put it.

But something funny happened on the way to the summit. And it almost seemed like the bad old days of the USSR. On the eve of the event, a conference dubbed "The Other Russia" was held in Moscow to focus on the Kremlin's abuses, including suppression of dissent, control of the news media, and curtailment of the powers of Parliament and the independence of the judiciary. Some conference participants were arrested; and some who had intended to travel to St. Petersburg to stage a protest were detained en route. Rights activists in other cities were harassed, beaten, intimidated.

At the summit itself, there was scant talk about the state of Russian democracy since the conflict in the Mideast took center stage. Some leaders tried to broach the subject, but "Mr. Putin batted them away with contempt," The Post editorialized. Mr. Bush, apparently sensitive to ol' Vlad's feelings, adopted a gentler approach, saying he would speak frankly, but privately, about regressive policies. To his credit, Mr. Bush met with Russian activists who are speaking out against Mr. Putin's policies, but at the summit the U.S. president spoke of some sort of "Russian-style democracy" - whatever that is.

In the past, Mr. Putin had referred to Russia as a "managed democracy"; now the Kremlin put out the concept of "sovereign democracy," apparently meant to convey the idea that Russia is democratic and that its democratic nature must not be questioned.

But no amount of PR will hide the truth. Human Rights Watch got it exactly right when it referred to Russia's "Potemkin democracy."

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