Russian President defends recent elections
Moscow: The Russian President on Saturday defended recent local elections that drew fraud allegations, inspired an opposition walkout of Parliament and strengthened the Kremlin's grip on power.
Dmitry Medvedev told leaders of the Communists and other opposition parties that the vote was well organised and seemed to dismiss allegations of vote rigging.
He said he wasn't surprised that opinions differed on the fairness of the vote because winners generally accept them. He said there were legal procedures for challenging election results.
During a meeting at Medvedev's residence with the leaders of the Communists and other opposition parties with seats in Parliament, the President joked that he had worn black because he feared his guests expected "a burial of democracy".
"I agreed to meet with you and discuss the outcomes of the elections to local legislatures and local self-government bodies so that this all should not turn into a burial of democracy and the electoral system here," Medvedev said in comments televised after the meeting.
The vote was "organised well enough," he said. "There are different assessments (of the outcome) among parliamentary parties, but that's easily understood, because, as a rule, those who win treat the results as positive."
Bureau Report