The presidential administration's first deputy head Vladislav Surkov supported Russia’s protest rallies, calling the country’s political system “corrupt” and “stupid” in an interview with the Izvestia daily newspaper, published on Friday.
Surkov, who is responsible for domestic politics in the Kremlin, is often condemned by the Russian opposition for being behind all the restrictions introduced under the then-president Vladimir Putin in the 2000s, including censorship on state media, suppression of opposition political groups and activists as well as promotion of the pro-Kremlin youth movements Nashi, the Young Guards and others.
Surkov said in the interview that the rallies against the pervasive corruption associated with the current government and against the allegedly rigged parliamentary polls on Dec. 4, in which Putin’s United Russia barely managed to retain majority of seats, are “absolutely natural.”
“The best part of our society, or let's say, its most productive part demands respect,” the Izvestia quoted Surkov as saying.
Asked whether he was nervous about the ongoing tensions that threaten the current government, he said: “Who wants to protect corruption, injustice? Who wants to defend a dull and stupid system? Nobody! Even those who are part of this system will not want it since they do not feel they are right.”
The Kremlin has recently muffled its traditional harsh criticism over street protests, after tens of thousands of people angered by the results and the alleged vote-rigging rallied near the Kremlin earlier this month. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who is running to become president in the vote next March, accused the protesters of aiming to delegitimize his own presidential bid. However, both Putin and President Dmitry Medvedev have acknowledged publicly that people have the right to popular protests.
A new protest rally, organized jointly by opposition groups, famous pop culture figures, and renowned independent journalists, is set to be held in central Moscow on Saturday. Tens of thousands people have subscribed to pages on social networking sites dedicated to Saturday's rally, with up to 40 thousand indicating their intention to attend the meeting.
