August 1, 22 o'clock 08 minutes in various places, such as less than a day not cut off Russian protests for three weeks more than convergence prospect Far East

Protests that have continued for more than three weeks have been held in Russia and other parts of the country for one day after the Governor of the Far East, which is far from the ruling party Putin, was arrested in Russia, and the administration side calmed the situation. it is attempt is made, but the prospect of convergence does not stand.

In the Khabarovsk region of the Russian Far East, last month, former political governor Furugar, who is far from the ruling party, was arrested for suspicion that he was involved in murder cases over 15 years ago. As locals and opposition forces have been protesting for three weeks.

In Khabarovsk, a protest demonstration was held on the main boulevard in the center for one day, and according to local media, more than 10,000 people called for the bail of the former governor and a fair trial, and "Putin should retire". I was crying out.

A female student who participated said, "There are many people complaining because of the high level of social dissatisfaction. The government should listen to us."

Putin is trying to calm the situation by dismissing Mr Hurgar, appointing the House of Representatives of the same far-right party to act as governor, and showing his intention to allocate additional budget to the locals.

However, protest activities other that have been made in other cities of the Far East and Siberia, and have shown a spread is also scheduled in western Russia, the prospect of convergence does not stand.

Demonstration that continues every day

Former Governor Hurgal was suddenly detained by a security agency while traveling in a public car on the 9th of the month, and was transferred to the capital Moscow by air as it was and arrested for being involved in murder cases over 15 years ago. ..

When security officers pressed their heads and took them to the video, local supporters strongly replied, ``It's a show due to political pressure,'' and the protest activity lasts three weeks from the 11th of last month. Has become.

Local authorities have not allowed protests or demonstrations due to measures against the new coronavirus, but participants gathered every Saturday on the pretext of "to feed the square's pigeons". Has been protested by tens of thousands of people.

So far, the security authorities have not restrained many demonstrators, and are ready to watch the situation for the time being.

Opposition parties who have strongly criticized the Putin administration have also joined the protests, spreading to various places such as Vladivostok, the central city of the Far East, and cities of Siberia, which shows that dissatisfaction with the long-term administration is increasing in rural areas. I am.

What is Hurgal

Former Governor Hurgar (50), who was arrested from Amur Oblast, Far East Russia, ran a company dealing in timber and metals in the 2000s, and later served as a member of the Khabarovsk Provincial Assembly and a member of the House of Representatives.

In the Governor's election in the Khabarovsk region, which was quietly held, he ran for the far-right political party ``Russian Liberal Democratic Party'' and became a dispute with the incumbent of Putin's ruling party ``Unified Russia''. I made a big difference in my current position and won the victory.

In large cities such as the Russian state, ethnic minority republics, and Moscow, most are from the ruling party nominated by President Putin, and the governors from other parties are few.

After assuming the post of governor, Mr. Hurgal decided to reduce his own compensation, sell yachts and luxury cars owned by the local government, and frequently talk with residents on SNS to appeal for expansion of medical care and education. , Further expanded the support.

Even in the local parliamentary elections held last year, the ruling party "Russian Liberal Democratic Party" made a big leap forward, and the ruling party significantly reduced its seats.

And in the national vote of the constitutional amendment that allows President Putin's continued cast on 1st of last month, the voter turnout is low compared to the national average, and the number of negative votes is 36.64%, which is higher than 10 points. Compared to, the opposition to the administration has become more prominent.

The Putin administration has been distrustful of Mr. Hurgal, who did not give satisfactory results to the administration because he has appealed for support for the constitutional amendment by conducting a military parade to raise patriotism and mobilizing all state media. Is believed to have strengthened.

Why the demo continues What is the background

The background of unusual protests in the Russian Far East is the persistent dissatisfaction with the Putin administration and the capital Moscow.

While the Russian Far East occupies more than one-third of the area of ​​Russia, but has a population of just over 6 million, or 4%, the Putin administration has positioned development in this region as a national priority.

However, in the Far East, the environment surrounding housing and medical care lags behind the capital Moscow, and the gap between the central and rural areas is a major issue.

We also complain that the rich resources of oil, gas and forests in the local area are managed by large Moscow-based companies, and the local people are not fully benefiting from them.

President Putin has repeatedly said that he will raise the standard of living in the Far East above the national average, but the economic situation has not improved in the Khabarovsk region last year, with more than 1,700 SMEs being forced to close.

An engineer in the protest, Lyabov, has been forced to live in an old apartment built 70 years ago and criticizes the rebuilding promised by the Putin administration.

"The Russian government's plans are mere humor, and citizens continue to live in barn-like homes. The government is turning away from our situation," Lyabb said. I appeal to tilt.

The protests have spurred a variety of dissatisfaction with the Putin administration, which has accumulated up to now, and has spread to other regions.

The expert

Nikolai Petrov, a political scientist familiar with Russian domestic affairs, overcame the incumbent governor of the ruling party "Unity Russia" in the election of the governor of Ototoshi, behind the fact that former governor Hurgal was arrested, and supported the country more than President Putin. I cite what I got.

"In the past, the central government was able to demand strong loyalty to the provinces by distributing large sums of money, but the recent economic crisis has reduced the funds and increased loyalty to the provinces." This way of buying money isn't working anymore."

On the other hand, "In Russia, all important decisions are made in the capital Moscow, and maintaining Kremlin's centralization is of utmost importance," he said, allowing local movements that are not in line with Putin's intentions. I pointed out.

And Mr. Petrov said that a unified local election will be held in September and a lower house election next fall, saying, "Putin's government is sending a signal "follow our rules" toward the election. We are sending it to the political elite.” In the future, political pressure on local areas will increase.