Gorbachev 'unhappy' with Russia
The Soviet Union's last leader Mikhail Gorbachev yesterday expressed sadness that Russia was "going backwards", two decades after the coup that precipitated the collapse of the USSR.
He criticized the government for taking Russia backward and said that the nation needs free elections and fresh leadership.
Gorbachev was speaking ahead of the 20th anniversary of Aug 19, 1991, hard-line coup that briefly ousted him and precipitated the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Gorbachev criticized the United Russia party led by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, which he described as a bad copy of the Soviet Communist Party.
He said Russia needs to restore direct elections of governors and single-ballot elections to the parliament, which were abolished during Putin's presidency.
"Honest elections are needed: single-ballot elections, elections of governors," Gorbachev said. "People must have a feeling that something depends on them."
He dismissed the Popular Front, an umbrella group of public organizations, professional associations and unions created with Putin's blessing.
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