Courtesy of Maria Gaidar
Harvard University student and anti-Putin activist Maria Gaidar, 29, previously served as vice governor of the Kirov region. She will help manage a crowdsourced website that monitors polling stations across Russia this weekend.
By Becky Bratu, msnbc.com
Maria Gaidar knows first hand about the consequences of being a political activist in Russia.
A fierce critic of Vladimir Putin and founder of the youth opposition movement DA! (YES! in Russian and and acronym for Democratic Alternative), Gaidar was accused by pro-government media last year of fleeing the country after being involved in a car crash that killed a 13-year-old girl.
“I didn’t hit a girl,” the 29-year-old Harvard University student told msnbc.com.
Gaidar says she has also been detained after taking part in a peaceful dissenters’ march, but she refuses to back down. Gaidar remains a leader of anti-Putin organization The Other Russia as well as the opposition Union of Right Forces party.
“Why would people tolerate something forever?” she asked.
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But despite huge protests amid claims for fraud in the wake of December’s parliamentary elections, Gaidar is among the many Russians with little doubt that Putin will be re-elected as president when the country goes to the polls on Sunday. Putin served as president from 2000-2008 and then became prime minister when a constitutional bar prevented a third consecutive term as president.
And while the message of tens of thousands who attended rallies in Moscow quickly went from one in favor of fair elections to a straightforward "Putin, go!", the country’s opposition movement has failed to put forward an alternative leader. It also hasn’t coalesced behind one of the four candidates running against him.
Meet the NBA tycoon who wants to be Russia's president
Gaidar credits prominent blogger Alexei Navalny for putting forward an important idea when he encouraged people to go to the polls and vote for anyone but Putin.
Sergei Karpukhin / Reuters, file
Opposition supporters take part in a rally in Moscow on Sunday. Thousands of Russians joined hands to form a ring around the city centre in protest against Vladimir Putin's likely return as president.
“The message is ‘we don’t want this anymore’ and the way to transmit this is by not voting for Putin,” Gaidar told msnbc.com.
However, that is unlikely to be enough to drive Putin from office.
Being an ocean and several time zones away won't stop Gaidar from doing to her part to try to ensure a fair vote this weekend.
Irregularities?
Gaidar will help manage a crowdsourced website that monitors polling stations across Russia. She said several thousand people have already signed up as monitors and she suspects irregularities will keep them busy on Sunday.
“Monitoring elections is the right thing to do,” she added. “[Putin] doesn’t have more than 50 percent of support.”
Gaidar says the opposition movement has so far focused on establishing fair elections, not finding leaders. Those who are the best opposition leaders are not always the best leaders of a country, she said, hinting at lessons learned following the Orange Revolution in Ukraine and the Rose Revolution in Georgia.
Russia's presidential election takes place on Sunday, Mar. 4. Rock Center Correspondent Harry Smith journeyed to Moscow where he met blogger Alexei Navalny, a vocal opponent of Vladimir Putin and his party United Russia. Navalny has galvanized protesters through social media and uses his website to expose alleged political corruption. The prospect of Putin returning to the presidency has generated protests in Russia not seen since the fall of Communism. The surging public outrage has left some wondering if a movement is afoot in Russia similar to that of last year's Arab Spring.
“Right now the protest is very healthy,” said Gaidar, who is the daughter of former Russian prime minister Yegor Gaidar.
“This revolution is Russian and pragmatic. People understand what they want and they’re asking for it.”
'Party of crooks and thieves'
Among those leading the charge toward reform is Navalny, a 35-year-old lawyer and blogger who thrives on exposing corruption and often targets Putin’s United Russia party. He calls it “the party of crooks and thieves.”
Following December’s elections, Navalny and other activists took to the Web to post reports of the alleged abuses, sparking even more outrage. On the second day of rallies, Navalny was arrested on charges of obstructing traffic after giving a speech in front of thousands of protesters. He was sentenced to 15 days in jail.
“I think that corruption has been a constant irritant which kept on building along with resentment,” Navalny told NBC News' Harry Smith. “Putin’s mistake is that he engineered an electoral fraud in the city of Moscow so obvious and arrogant that it was taken by the people as a slap in the face.”
While Navalny was in jail, the rallies grew even larger. "Of course, we were very upset that we could not be there,” Navalny said. “But we could not believe that such things were really taking place in Moscow.”
Anton Golubev / Reuters, file
Prominent blogger Alexei Navalny, left, listens to opposition leader Garry Kasparov during a meeting on January 31.
Navalny was released on Dec. 21, and an even bigger protest followed on Christmas Eve.
“At the demonstration I said that right now we can go and take the Kremlin, which frightened many people. But it was true,” Navalny told Smith.
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The activist said the government “did everything to make sure we did not exist.” He told Smith there is a car that always follows him around, and another that follows his wife.
“And it's very funny because they are changing plates on the cars but they are not changing cars,” he explained.
But Putin’s press secretary downplayed Navalny’s importance.
“[Putin] wouldn't over exaggerate his importance,” Dmitry Peskov told Smith.
If Putin wins on Sunday, he could run for another six-year term in 2018. A victory then would mean Putin had chalked up 24 years in power out of the 33 years since the collapse of Communism.
Generous social spending
While the anti-Putin movement is unlikely to change the results of this election, experts agree the protests have eroded Putin’s legitimacy.
Over the past decade, Putin benefited from a high approval rating, an economy that performed relatively well and an apolitical public that he kept under control through generous social spending.
“All three of those things are gone and not likely to return,” Timothy Frye, director of Columbia University’s Harriman Institute, told msnbc.com.
While the opposition has grown in recent months, Putin continues to do well in the countryside, among older voters, the empowered bureaucracy and people who are dependent on the state for their livelihood, but he has lost the support of the middle class and the urban population fed up with the endemic corruption. At the same time, his campaign strategy has been to appeal to the core rather than court the opposition.
“If there is no rigging, he would probably win half of the vote anyway,” Maria Lipman, an expert at the Carnegie Endowment Moscow Center, told msnbc.com.
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Navalny has said he would participate in the political process if elections were open to anyone who wants to run.
Gaidar, who is currently pursuing a mid-career masters degree in public administration at Harvard and who previously served as deputy governor of the Kirov region, says she doesn’t have any political ambitions. Being a politician in nowadays Russia is like hitting your head against a wall, she said.
But Gaidar does plan to return home after she completes her studies and try to enable change within the system.
“In five to 10 years we’re going to live in a different Russia,” she said.
More from msnbc.com and NBC News:
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Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world
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Same old Russia. I guess all of that disbanding and restructuring was just an exercise. Maybe just some smoke and mirrors until the Putins of Russia could figure out how they were going to get back to business as usual. Here it comes folks, Cold War II.
Yeah have you seen the fraud in the US lately?
Well said.
Tsarism, Communism, Putinism... When you break them down into their nuts an bolts components, they're all the same really.
This just shows how much Putin is still connected to their KGB ....
I find it hard to criticize Russian politics when our system in the US is pretty much considered a joke now. Politicians and their corporate backers used to at least conduct business under the table. Now between super-pacs, lobbyists, and the basic everyday scandals and corruption it's pretty much out in the open for all to see and no one cares. If we're so apathetic about our politics, why care about another country's affairs?
Yes our politicians are just as bad and worse in some cases.
I wonder if the U.N., Europe & the U.S. will arm the Russian activist and establish a "No Fly Zone/Bombing Zone" over Russia? In the U.S. enough invalid signatures have been found on the petitions in Indiana that would put into question whether O'Bama should have been allowed to be a candidate. Maybe that's why he used the corrupt ACORN to "get out the vote" in his favor.
MORE defence industry jobs. Reagan out spent the Russkies the last time around. Wonder who will go bankrupt and in the bucket next - any guesses??
Maybe another Russian Revolution !!!
Many years ago there was an ongoing war between good and evil.
There is no longer a quest for altruism, but only competition for power and wealth.
Good people are suffering all over the world because of the corruption and GREED of EVIL people.
America must return to her old paths, and rid herself of evil men who govern for their own interests.
We must clean up our own backyard before we can even begin to suggest that we can offer assistance and advice to others.
If our votes are taken from us, then we must rise up against those who will oppress the masses.
This is not an experiment or college project, but it is real life, and must be lived in the seriousness of these matters.
Every man, woman and child must rise up and involve themselves, before the time comes when they will not be permitted the freedom to exercise those rights!
we also have the same people running the country all the time, they just don't bother holding public office
I think the younger generations in Russia understand that when the same group of people want to make all the decisions for a 1/4 century that they are not living in a democracy.
I hope the people of Russia get their country back---but not as much as I wish we had ours back. The SCOTUS is in bed with the industrialists along with over half of our politicians. Wars, personal wealth and outsourcing jobs is the focus.
sandtrich
i am sick and tired of our leaders "not half of them, all of them" trying to tell the world how to do things, take country back bs, lets fix this country's problems first before putting our efforts in libia, syria, iran, what else, oh the so called garbage bin "UN" that is full of dictators from around the world.
The only way for Legal Americans to get American and the U.S. Constitution back is to get rid of O'Bama. The sooner the better, for America's sake.
@ JoeB, Joe my friend, you must be rich?
President Obama is not responsible for what ails this country. Less than 9% of the donations to Romney are small individual donors. I want all money from corporations out of elections. Scalia and his sock puppet, Clarence Thomas, should be impeached for the majority opinion on "Citizens United." Citizens?
And who do we replace him with?? Every last one of both parties candidates for Congress, Senate and the White House smell of corruption and proudly suck the teet of corporate America.. Obama was placed in office with tons of money and voter fraud through ACORN.. The investigation has been crushed and we don't even hear about the findings.. Last I heard 10% of the votes were considered invalid.. Dead people and people who voted multiple times all thanks to ACORN.. Penny stock buys and insider information add up to corruption for big bucks..
When people start with "ACORN" I can tell that, on the tip of their tongue is "Muslim" and "Kenyan." There's much wrong with the current situation in our government. Until we block the access of corporations and money to politicians, it's irrelevant as to their party affiliation.
Clean the House and Senate of anyone that has signed a pledge to Grover Norquist.
@Sandtrich: Good evening my friend. Agree with you. SCOTUS, Congress, and wall street have turned our election process into nothing more than a "Whore selection" among the monied. No longer the good ole USA of our youth. Sad too. Take care good friend. Regards
Someone should write an article like about the US and all the corruption that's ruining the country via our own career politicians.
tear down that wall ! well that will make it easier for Putin to roll the tanks through europe when he is elected . I will give it about two years before he conquers the U.S.
Sadly, Putin, who never really lost the Presidency, will give himself another 12 years. I suspect he won't leave, even after that. He's pulled off this switch (pres. -> PM -> pres.) and will do it again until he dies. Just another petty dictator. Does it feel comfortably familiar, Russia?
Все это похоже на детский лепет.Как будто,человек не жил России и не знаком с методами ФСБ.Вспомните недавний(относительно)пример с А.Литвиненко.С Магнитским.Эти нелюди пойдут на все,чтобы удержать власть.Из нынешних оппозиционеров,один Владимир Буковский трезво оценивает людей засевших в Кремле.Если понадобится они выведут на улицы Москвы войска и будут стрелять.Почему никто этого не допускает.Как будто выросли в другой стране.И не понимают,что то что получилось с Горбачевым,с Путиным не пройдет.Будет кровь.А к крови,такие как Маша Гайдар или Гарри Каспаров не готовы.
Fixed :)
Sam - the web translators don't truly "fix" things... That type of "fixing" could lead to international conflicts. Hope this "fix" is a little better:
(Translated post of Leon Rozenberg, posted above)"All this seems like a kids' babble. As though, this person did not live in Russia and isn't familiar with the methods of the FSB (former KGB). Remember the recent (relatively) examples made of A.Litvinenko and S Magnitskiy. These monsters will do anything to keep their power. Among the present opposition, only Vladimir Bukovsky soberly assesses people entrenched in Kremlin. If need be, they will send the troops out to the streets of Moscow and will start shooting. Why doesn't anyone consider that? As if they grew up in a different country and do not understand, that what happened with Gorbachev, will not work with Putin. There will be blood. And the ones like Masha Gaidar and Garry Kasparov are not ready for that."
Мы девяносто девять процентов
Yep, we need to clean up our own house before we worry about others! CLEAN HOUSE, vote ALL of Congress out...start fresh!
Wouldn't that blow the minds of those in DC now...if we did manage to vote them ALL out!
Replace them with WHO??
You know a person is up to no good when they want to be the leader forever.
Please don't compare political corruption in the US to what's going on in Russia. The institutionalized government corruption in Russia under Putin is 10 fold worse and destroys the hopes and dreams of Russians, particularily the young people. Its like a State governed by the Mob.
But they're doing all they can here to catch up to Russia.
yea, i hate when people start comparing the US to these types of governments. Everyone with their anti-American comments. if you dont like it here, move to Russia, guys! stop whining. tough times, frustrating times but dont compare. you dont like whats happening in Washington, then vote for someone else!
True, but the bunch running things in DC will catch up to Russia if we, the voters, don't clean house. Those that are there are too impressed with themselves and are ripe for corruption and they're blooming.
Remember... Donig the same thing over and over while expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. When will we learn ?
Let's have an American Fall and blow all the political pundit's minds when we vote out every incumbent up for election.
NO incombents Not 1, no 2 is No buying oh oh sorry , no lobbying congressman or seneters
Reading the comments on this article makes me realize how gullible Americans are of what their country tells them. lol
This article exist because Putin doesn't appease to American politics. That's the only reason why there are so much talk on the other side of Russia against Putin. Its an attempt to strengthen the other side's resolve by utilizing American's massive media projection. They do this to China as well and just about any country who doesn't appease to America.
If Putin is the exact same way except that he appeases to America and supports American agenda and American Hegemony over the globe, than this article wouldn't exist. Trust me.
An example of this is most of the negative things that happen in Western Europe is largely reported in a different light. And Yemen is a big mess right now and the people are extremely unhappy with their leader but yet their leader is allowed to flee to the states for protection? lol Same story just that they support American global domination.
yea whatever. this article makes the news because it will receive more clicks and more readers than news from Yemen and Western Europe. thats just the way it is. everything is a conspiracy with you, anti-American.
nada
Welcome to AMerica.
Our both parties have all crooks thieves as their gut less leaders. These people also do not serve people. They serve rich, powerful, Israel and those who give the, lots of money.
Rest of us are like Russian citizens except American is lot more advanced and richer even in challanging economic times than Russia.
I do not have anything nice to say about either parties like she does not have anything nice to say about Puttin. As she is charged with crim she may not have commited, it happens in USA also. If you are black or/and poor you know. Our Laws are for the rich to not follow and poor to be punished. That is our way of controlling riots on the street. We never give suckers a break to rise up in the streets except few whtie boys who are well meaning but do nto accomplish anything and are softe spoken and cannot do any harm to any one.
US government is just as corrupted as the Russian government. All US politicians are in the pockets of our corporations, special interest groups, and lobbyist. !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Americans. Vote ABI (Anybody But Incumbent) even in your own Congressional district and all the way down to precinct commissioner. We'll never have a change if we want to vote "them" out but keep "our guy".
Learn and know who holds office in your Congressional district, State Rep, city & county government, Mayor, Dog Catcher and vote for all new faces. That's the only way to send a loud and clear message to all in elected office that we the people want real change. Vote Independent when you can to send the same message to both parties.
Anyone else find it funny that this blogger is noted as "prominent" while Garry Kasparov, one of the greatest chess players in history is noted simply as an "opposition leader?"
An article about the USA like this one would never get to MSN so Millions of people could read about our corrupted Government. They would have us believe that we live in a warm fuzzy place compared to Russia. It’s to put it all in perspective and to make us feel like our socialist welfare state is not so bad. Do you people not see the same things at work here in the US? Old people, voting for Liberal, socialist politicians!! So they can keep “their” income????? Think!!!!!!!!!! Please Think!!!!!! Young people need to work hard and vote smart to keep the money they earn. Lets not dish it out to the young people who don’t want to work at all. Think we are at 4 generations of welfare going on 5!!!!!!!!! Please think!
As one of those "old people",I worked hard all my life and that income is mine,I paid for it and depended on the promise of it for retirement.So Steve THINK!!!!!! now that I calculated that income into my retirement plan,you would like to take it away??That is not fair at all.If someone had told me in time,of course I could have made other plans.So Steve I think I will vote for 'liberal, socialist politicians" and you may kiss my arse.
Anyone noticed how quickly MSNBC changed the title of this article from the incorrect "Anti-Putin foes..." to the correct "Putin foes..."? It's nice to know they're not all asleep at the wheel.
The US is fast becoming the most corrupt nation on earth.The politicians must go begging for money for re-election campaigns,and end up as pawns of the wealthy and corporations.They will never work for the people,as long as this system is in place.Publicly financed election campaigns is the only answer.
For a Russian " activism " against Vladimir Putin is currently a good career move, considering the level of interest in such activism in the U.S.There seem to plenty of American sponsorship or support for thse " activists ".
Ok folks, You may like our Govt and what they do, but we know that we are not going to have the same person as President for 24 years! We also know that if everyone really wanted to change who is in Govt in this country and really had the will to do so we could. That's not going to happen in Russia! They are a one party system for the most part. If you want to start a new party here, I doubt you will have cars following you around. I know you comspiracy nut jobs think so but people with a brain know that isn't going to happen.
So don't compair our system to Russia's, They are not even close! We have 235 year on them and we have done better than anyone at it. I hate both our party's for the most part. But it's still better then most!
"We also know that if everyone really wanted to change who is in Govt in this country and really had the will to do so we could."
I know we try to fool ourselves with those thoughts.But the reality is totally different.The two parties,that in most countries would just be different wings of the same party,have a lock on the elections.You have to have money,and media access,to get your message across to people.The election authorities,almost the entire political class in the US,the media people,almost from top to bottom,are part of the two party system.These politicians raise from their backers,hundreds of millions of dollars to buy access.TV,radio,print ads,fliers,mail-outs,are all expensive.Then you have to get accepted on ballots,more money entailed there.You have to get on debates.And unless your 'mainstream",that's not happening.Thus to viewers,you don't count if not included with the "respectable" candidates.If you were able to somehow find money to get though some of these difficulties,you then have to worry about the media framing stories that show you in a bad light.Since they are all owned by corporate interests,and are a big part of the current system,that is a real worry.An easy example is the current Ron Paul campaign.He's even a part of the system.But since his ideas don't conform to what the establishment wants to see.When you see publicity on his campaign at all,its usually negative.We are much more sophisticated in our system than in Russia,but the results are the same.No money and power,no election victory.
Don't trust Russia, they will sink you no matter what.
New Boss, same as the Old Boss. Literally!
I really love the "America, love or leave it" comments. No wonder we have so little dissent in this country. No criticism allowed, I guess.
My only other comment is people who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
Freedom of speech? Haven't you read anything on the constitution. In the US, one will not be inprisioned for speaking their mind. One will be critisized by others who have a different opinion, as i am to you, but one will never be inprisoned. You writing what you wrote and me writing what I am just proves my point. Hate america all you want and put down our way of life all you want. I fought for you to do so. Did you fight for that right? Just asking.
I actually respect Vladimir Putin. He's like a God.
In Madiganistan (Illinois) our Putin is House Speaker Michael Madigan. Putin has got nothing on Madigan, who has been in the same job for over 40 years.
Blagojevich goes to jail next week (14 years) just for being a blowhard, but Madigan just keeps getting re-elected while helping himself and helping to drive the State of Illinois into bankruptcy. Democracy, my ass! The voters of Illinois never voted Madigan to be "King for Life". His crumby little district just keeps sending him back to Cullertown and the rest of us have nothing to say about it.
Madigan keeps his mind right, his actions lawful, and he did not rig any voting poles to stay in office, not to mention he is a Dem. He wasn't Speaker until after I was born so if you are correct with saying 40- these years weren't consecutive and I am thinking it is more along the line of 32. Meanwhile, I am wondering as the most powerful man in the State of Illinois- why he couldn't have helped the budget along- all these years... and why Putin couldn't do the same for his middle class.