Russia needs a flexible multi-party system on both federal and regional levels to match its bold modernization plans, President Dmitry Medvedev instructed top officials on Friday.
"We need an 'intellectual economy' which can be created only by intelligent people and that is why the society is becoming more complicated," he told a Kremlin meeting of the State Council, an advisory board of regional governors and top officials.
"The society should not be commanded, it should be in cooperation," Medvedev added.
After a string of political reforms undertaken during the 2000-08 presidency of Medvedev's predecessor Vladimir Putin, currently a powerful prime minister and a partner in the ruling tandem, the number of national political parties in Russia has dropped down to 7 from 48.
The pro-Kremlin United Russia party dominates national parliament and regional assemblies.
Medvedev has said in the past he was aiming to change the Kremlin-centered political system and give more say to smaller parties, most of which practically ceased their existence during Putin's presidency.
"Our policy should become more flexible, more modern," he told the State Council.
The Russian parliament has already approved a series of Kremlin initiatives enhancing the role of political parties and giving more opportunities to small parties to win parliamentary seats. The steps included granting political parties, which had won regional polls, an exclusive right to nominate governors and a reduction of the election threshold needed for parties to win seats in the national legislature.
On Friday, Medvedev extended his initiative to the regional assemblies.
"I will propose a bill later today which would guarantee the representation of all parties supported by more than five percent of voters in all regional parliaments," he said.
Some opposition parties, including those represented in the national parliament like the Communists, have said election rules, they described as deliberately crafted to give advantage to United Russia, stood in the way of Medvedev's declared plans.
They have said regional polls in October, in which United Russia won a sweeping victory, saw severe irregularities. Only two parties, United Russia and the Communists, won seats in the Moscow city council.
"Does the election to the Moscow city council reflect the opinion of Muscovites? I do not think so," Medvedev said in the strongest criticism of the poll so far.
But he was fast to make clear he did not share the opposition criticism.
"The results of regional elections reflect the balance of forces in the country, statements about massive irregularities have failed to find justification," he said stating the low number of legal suits submitted by opposition parties after the polls.
"If there are facts, one must go to court," Medvedev added. "If there are no facts, the accusations are groundless. In any case, the court has the final say."
MOSCOW, January 22 (RIA Novosti)
