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https://theconversation.com/alexei-navalny-had-a-vision-of-a-democratic-russia-that-terrified-vladimir-putin-to-the-core-223812>
"Alexei Navalny was a giant figure in Russian politics. No other individual
rivalled the threat he posed to the Putin regime. His death in an Arctic labour
camp is a blow to all those who dreamed he might emerge as the leader of a
future democratic Russia.
What made Navalny so important was his decision to become an anti-corruption
crusader in 2008. Using shareholder activism and his popular blog, he shone a
spotlight on the corruption schemes that enabled officials to steal billions
from state-run corporations.
His breakthrough came in 2011, when he proposed the strategy of voting for any
party but President Vladimir Putin’s “party of crooks and thieves” in the Duma
(parliament) elections. Faced with a collapse of support, the regime resorted
to widespread election fraud. The result was months of pro-democracy protests.
Putin regained control through a mix of concessions and repression, but the
crisis signalled Navalny’s emergence as the dominant figure in Russia’s
democratic movement.
Despite being convicted on trumped-up embezzlement charges, he was allowed to
run in Moscow’s mayoral elections in 2013. In a clearly unfair contest, which
included police harassment and hostile media coverage, he won 27% of the vote."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
