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A useful primer on September's elections to the Russian State Duma and Russian electoral politics in general, as well as pertinent reflections on how progressive leftists should act within this regime of electoral authoritarianism, by Alexander Zamyatin of the Russian Socialist Movement (RSD). Alexander Zamyatin: 'The parliament in Russia has been reduced to such a condition there is no point in talking about a hypothetical leftist faction or a group of MPs from single-mandate electoral districts tabling or blocking law bills independently of the presidential administration. If there has been anything consistent about the political reforms of the past fifteen years, it is that legislative bodies, the Duma foremost among them, have been stripped of the power to influence the government’s social and economic policies, even despite their formally voting budgets up or down. 'The elections to the Seventh State Duma are not a chance to transform the political regime or even have an impact on it. 'The entire campaign is controlled to a lesser or greater extent by the presidential administration’s Office for Domestic Policy. The leaders of the current Duma factions have long ago left no doubt as to the complete absence of conflict within parliament. Even such a harmless identity as “systemic opposition” has taken a backseat to rallying round the president by way of combatting the “fifth column.”' Read the rest here: https://therussianreader.wordpress.com/2016/07/26/zamyatin-rsd-elections-leftist-involvement/ _________________________________________________________ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
