In the fourth successive article outlining his electoral program, Russian Prime Minister and presidential candidate Vladimir Putin explains the organization of Russian democracy, and how it must evolve in order to shape the future of Russian society.
Putin acknowledged that after the end of communism in Russia, society underwent comprehensive reforms that were ultimately hijacked by an oligarchy that used the public wealth to its own benefit, depriving citizens of the bare essentials in the process.
Thus, the transition to democracy and a market economy in Russia was darkened by a total distrust of democratic institutions. In his new article, Putin puts forth his proposals on how to mend such systemic problems. He proposes to finally implement democracy in Russia, and create a true power to the people society where citizens can enjoy democracy as a cornerstone of their everyday life.
Russia’s statehood and sovereignty had to be reanimated after the 1990s, a process Putin says is now complete.
The will of the people was behind the reforms Russia saw through in 2000s, and now Russia’s civil society, which has grown more mature and prosperous, is ready to make balanced and liable decisions for itself.
Developing democracy
Putin maintains that Russia needs new democratic mechanisms to move forward.
It is Russian state organization that lags behind, and it must be modernized – democratically, he says.
The country's political climate must be constantly maintained – but should not be let to mutate into a knockabout comedy, Putin maintains.
The political system must sharply react to reflect the interests of large social groups.
The relationship between society and politics should always be based on truth, allowing for mutual confidence, respect and a constructive dialogue between the people and the authorities.
New mechanisms of involvement
The world has entered an era of instant access to free information on nearly any topic, which means nothing – especially the political process – can be hidden from society.
Internet technology has also made human society much more complex.
In the given conditions, feedback from society has become crucial. That is why Russian governance is already establishing spacious contacts with society over the web.
Putin called on specialists to give the country's leadership a hand bridging Russia’s eternal gap between the people and those in power, and to make public control of governance a reality.
Local authority as school of democracy
Putin proposes that local governance ought to become more independent, financially and otherwise, to effectively function for the benefit of local citizensю
To do so, Putin proposes to redirect all taxes paid by small businesses to local municipalities.
Municipalities need direct elections and referendums, including the performance assessments of bureaucrats, who could be banned from activities if they repeatedly violate the application of state services.
Russian Federalism
Putin admits that to curb any form of separatism within Russia, Moscow should delegate authority to local legislative institutions that can adjust local power according to the local condition.
Competitive state
Russia can only exist as a truly innovative country, because the reality of the globalized world is interstate competition. To achieve this, Russian authorities should give businesses more freedoms, adopt successful foreign experience and encourage competition between state officials.
We must beat corruption
If Russia plans to achieve anything mentioned above, corruption in the country must be brought to minimum, states Putin. To achieve it, the prime minister sees no other way but to make governmental institutions’ activities more transparent to society.
Putin’s plan supposes that financial, reputational and other risks will give corruption many disadvantages – which still does not exclude criminal proceedings against corrupt civil servants.
Developing justice system
Russia’s justice system is to be reformed to make justice accessible and people-oriented, with court decisions and databases open to the public.
Putin ended the article by stressing that his program proposes concrete steps to realize civic power and authentic democracy, enabling Russia to successfully develop steadily.
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