President Dmitry Medvedev (click title to entry - thank you) called Tuesday for an easing of “accumulated restraints” in Russian political life, saying this was needed to avert serious divisions in society.“We need to take new decisions, to take real and more decisive steps to eliminate accumulated restraints on political activity,” Medvedev said in a meeting with the leaders of the four parties that secured seats in parliament in recent elections.
His comments came three days after tens of thousands of people held a mass protest in Moscow against alleged cheating in legislative elections on December 4 won by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party.
Forever? The Ukraine now has permanent political detentions?
KIEV, December 9 - RAPSI. Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was arrested on Thursday in a new criminal case related to her activities at United Energy Systems of Ukraine (UESU) for an indefinite period, her attorney Serhiy Vlasenko said at a news conference on Friday.
A Kiev district court placed Tymoshenko under arrest on Thursday as part of a criminal case dealing with her activity at UESU.
"Yesterday I deliberately misled journalists, saying Tymoshenko was placed under arrest for two months. Actually, it is not true. I deliberately misinformed them because I did not have the text of the court's judgment at the time. Tymoshenko has been arrested for an indefinite term," Vlasenko said.
He read out the court order on Tymoshenko's arrest, which did not specify the term of the arrest.
"Tymoshenko has been arrested forever," Vlasenko said....
Seems as though the best of relations does not exist between the Ukraine and Russia, perhaps Russia might be predisposed to leverage a release of former Prime Minister Tymoshenko? Such a release brokered by Prime Minister Putin may be a clear message to Russians the current administration sincerely wants to change their practices both domestically and abroad. Just a thought.
...A week earlier, (click here) Ukraine's Energy Ministry said it expected to seal a deal with Russia by the end of this month.
Ukraine depends heavily on Russian gas imports and the government subsidises gas and heating prices for households, a policy which contributes significantly to budget deficit and which the International Monetary Fund wants Kiev to abandon.
Analysts say losses of state energy firm Naftogaz, incurred mostly through such subsidies, could reach $2.3 billion or 1.4 percent of gross domestic product this year.
Facing payment arrears in addition to losses, Naftogaz borrowed $550 million from Gazprom's banking arm to pay for supplies last month and has since negotiated a longer delay for monthly payments.
Under its 2010 agreement with the IMF Ukraine pledged to balance Naftogaz' budget this year by eliminating energy subsidies. But the government has kept them in place, prompting the Fund to halt lending....
