Putin blames Clinton for protests

PRIME Minister Vladimir Putin strongly criticised US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton yesterday, accusing her of encouraging and funding Russians protesting election fraud.

By describing Russia’s parliamentary election as rigged, Putin said Clinton “gave a signal” to his opponents.

“They heard this signal and with the support of the US State Department began their active work,” Putin said in televised remarks.

He said the US is spending “hundreds of millions” to influence Russian politics with the aim of weakening a rival nuclear power.

His tough words show the deep cracks in US-Russian ties despite President Barack Obama’s efforts to “reset” relations with the Kremlin.

Ahead of the election, President Dmitry Medvedev threatened to deploy missiles to target the US missile shield in Europe, if Washington failed to assuage Moscow’s concerns about its plans.

Clinton has repeatedly criticised the parliamentary vote in Russia, saying “Russian voters deserve a full investigation of electoral fraud and manipulation.”

Protesters have taken to the streets in Moscow and St Petersburg for three straight nights despite a heavy police presence, outraged over reports of widespread ballot box stuffing and manipulations of the vote count.

This week has seen some of the biggest and most sustained protests Russia has faced in years, and police have detained hundreds of protesters. Thousands were expected to join protests in Moscow and other cities tomorrow.

Putin’s United Russia party barely held onto its majority in parliament, with official results giving it about 50% of the vote, down from 64% four years ago.

But the fraud allegations indicate support for United Russia was even lower than that, and Russians appear to be growing weary of Putin and his party after nearly 12 years in office.

Putin was president from 2000 until 2008, when he moved into the prime minister’s office to abide by a constitutional limit on two consecutive terms.

He intends to reclaim the presidency after an election in March that would give him at least six more years in power. His return to the Kremlin still seems assured, but he has been shaken by the outburst of public anger and it is not yet clear how much of a challenge it will pose to his power.

Moscow has already put about 50,000 police and 2,000 paramilitary troops on the streets, backed by water cannon.

Putin warned that the government might take an even harder line against those who try to influence Russia’s political process on behalf of a foreign government.

He said his government has to “work out ways to protect our sovereignty from outside interference”.