President Dmitry Medvedev ordered an investigation on Sunday into allegations of fraud in Russia’s parliamentary election, one day after tens of thousands of protesters demanded it be annulled and rerun.
Medvedev responded on his Facebook site to the protesters’ complaints that the December 4 election, won by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s United Russia, was slanted in its favor.
But he did not mention their calls for an end to Putin’s rule and received one insult after another on his Facebook site from people who made clear his reply was insufficient.
“I do not agree with any slogans or statements made at the rallies. Nevertheless, instructions have been given by me to check all information from polling stations regarding compliance with the legislation on elections,” Medvedev said in a post on the social media site.
His statement was a sign that the Russian leadership feels under pressure after the biggest opposition protests since Putin rose to power in 1999. The protesters themselves used social media to organize their rallies.
But the protesters have demanded much more than just an investigation and are unlikely to be satisfied.
via Medvedev orders Russia poll inquiry, gets insults | Reuters.
