August, 1, 2005

The person from the Kremlin prepares for punishment above the last applicant for a high post

It has already started the investigation against the former prime minister, intending to enter into struggle for elections of 2008.

The former prime minister of Russia Michael Kasianov yesterday accused the Kremlin that it has provoked investigation of property bargains of former premier with the purpose to discredit him before presidential elections in 2008.

Kasianov, dismissed by Putin last year, in February let us know, that he will be a candidate for the election in 2008 when Putin, under the present constitution, should leave.

But two weeks ago when Kasianov was in holiday abroad, the Office of Public Prosecutor started investigation in connection with accusations that, when he was the prime minister he organized for himself a purchase of a summer residence in cost of 27 million dollars for an undercharge.

From this moment there are rumours, that he may ask a political asylum in Britain in order not to become the most high-ranking Russian official to whom refer criminal charges, after the disintegration of the USSR in 1991.

Yesterday he returned to Moscow in fighting mood. He made with an application in which he remarks, that he does not have any doubt that the systematic and scaled campaign of slander, based on lie and deception and directed to his discredit, is one of authorities making strategy which purpose is to completely clear a political game field. The result of application of such strategy in practice is obvious: the authority loses contact to people, amplifies the disbelief in tomorrow's day among citizens, the economic growth becomes slower against the background of recordly high prices, and the authority of Russia in the world steadily falls, noted Kasianov.

Having come to authority in 2000, president Putin restored the control of the Kremlin upon the parliament with executive authority, MASS-MEDIA and business, having caused on the West a fear, that Russia comes back to the authoritative past.

The opposition has sufferred shattering defeat on parliamentary elections of 2003, and last year Putin collected on presidential elections 71 % of voices during re-election for the second term. In May the oil tycoon Michael Hodorkovskogo have been sentenced to nine years of imprisonment, and many thinks that it is a punishment for financing of opposition parties and the insinuations, concerning his intentions to run for president.

In February 47-year-old Kasianov called to opposition for joining up, having accused president Putin of suffocation of democratic values and of damaging a business environment of Russia . A question, whether he has presidential ambitions, he answered: " All is possible ".

The investigation of "dachageit" is treated as the warning about not to poke into politics.

"Paranoia started in Kremlin, its reactions are disproportionate, it makes preventive impacts, aspiring to suppress, neutralize, intimidate and buy influence at any opportunity - declared Masha Lipman from Moscow Centre Karnegi. - they started to feel, that 2008 inevitably comes nearer, and they are afraid of " color revolutions ".

During the absence of obvious successor Putin, Kremlin as expected, it is obsessed with an opportunity of the revolution analogous to what Georgia , Ukraine and Kirghizia have been shaken for the last two years. Some officials even state the assumption, that Putin will remain in authority after 2008 - either as the prime minister of parliamentary republic, or as the president of the allied state with Byelorussia .

Lipman has declared, that the Kremlin does not have a common opinion upon this issue, and investigation was initiated, most likely, with one of groupings, so-called strong men.

Others as believe, are obsessed with, that the trial upon the next political opponent will spoil reputation of Russia even more. " The Kremlin is not the united community, there is the different groupings struggling for property and political influence, besides yet it is not clear what Kasianov wants", - noted Lipman.

Investigation demanded Alexander Hinshtein, prokremlin deputy of Duma and the journalist of tabliod " Maskovski komsomolets".He has accused Kasianov of use of false companies for purchase of a summer residence for 370 thousand dollars on the forged auction, its real cost, by estimations, exceeds 27 million dollars.

On a site with area of 11,5 hectares in the Troitse - likovo there is tennis court and an own beach. Once, the summer residence belonged to Michael Suslov, the main ideologist under Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. The summer residence next door belongs to the writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

The Office of Public Prosecutor denies, that investigation is begun on political grounds. " Any kind of policy does not exist here ", - the assistant of general public prosecutor Vladimir Kolesnikov declared on the press conference. As he said, the Office of Public Prosecutor considers this case as a swindle with the purpose of purchasing the property.

The adviser of Kremlin Gleb Pavlovsk has declared: " It is simply case of the summer residences. By application of Kasianov, he has selected political methods of protection, maybe, because he is not sure in his legal position ".

Yet the accusations has not been applied to Kasianov, who denies abusings and promises not to leave a politics. In opinion of analysts, his chances of a victory on elections of 2008 are insignificant, as he is too closely connected to former president Boris Yeltsin and the oligarches who have hammered together properties during a not irreproachable privatization of 1990th.

Some believe, that his candidature will give to elections legitimacy. As former premieres, he has the information compromising high-ranking officials. " He has trump cards which force the Kremlin to be nervous, - has declared Lipman. - I do not think, that he will get in prison.

Political contenders of Putin

Boris Berezovsky was accused of swindle especially in a large-scale manner, after, in 2000 he declared plans to create opposition party. He rejects accusations and now has received a political asylum in Britain .

Vladimir Gusinski in 2000 left for Spain to avoid accusations of swindle because his private MASS-MEDIA was the subject of criticism by Kremlin.

Ivan Rybkin, last year, removed his candidature from the presidential elections, having declared that he was kidnapped taken away to Kiev .

Michael Hodorkovsky is sentenced to imprisonment for non-payment of taxes and swindle. He let us know, that he will run for president in 2008.

Jeremy Page, The Times, Translation - Inopress, 01.08.05.
http://chechenpress.co.uk/english/news/2005/08/01/04.shtml