Putin Ally Joins Protests in Moscow

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By ALEXANDER KOLYANDR MOSCOW—An influential ally of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Saturday joined tens of thousands of protesters calling for new parliamentary elections and political overhauls, adding to pressure on the Kremlin in the wake of parliamentary elections this month that sparked widespread fraud allegations. "We need to create a platform for a dialogue with the authorities," Russia's former finance minister, Alexei Kudrin, told protesters who massed in central Moscow. "Otherwise, we'll face a revolution and we'll miss the chance for a peaceful transition and for creating trust, which is needed for the new power." He called for the dismissal of the head of the election committee and quick changes to Russia's election laws, so presidential elections scheduled for March could be held under the new rules. Mr. Putin, who has been in power for 12 years, is widely favored to win back the presidency. He also called for new parliamentary elections in 2012, following changes to election law, something many protesters who seek an immediate annulment of the vote oppose. His appearance at the rally and public endorsement of the protesters' pledges are the first signs of high-level insiders agreeing with the their demands. Meanwhile, in an interview on Ekho Moskvy radio, former President Mikhail Gorbachev urged Mr. Putin to step down. Sunday marks the 20th anniversary of the resignation of Mr. Gorbachev, 80 years old. Mr. Kudrin, a longtime ally of Mr. Putin, lost his job three months ago after openly criticizing what he sees an <a href="http://www.womenfashionbag.com/gucci-hysteria-medium-hobo-beigeebony-crystal-gg-fabric-p-19845.html"><strong>chanel glass frames</strong></a> excessive federal spending and rising military outlays pushed through by President Dmitry Medvedev. Mr. Kudrin was also said to be disappointed that he wasn't offered the prime minister's job in Mr. Putin's planned return to the Kremlin next year. Since then, he has criticized both Mr. Medvedev and Russia's ruling United Russia party for putting the country and its finances at risk by ruling ineffectively and spending too much. However, he refrained from openly criticizing Mr. Putin, who recently called him "a close friend" and "an ally." But while Mr. Kudrin has credibility with Russia's liberals, who have called him "honest" and "moral," protest leaders said they aren't <a href="http://www.womenfashionbag.com/gucci-new-britt-medium-hobo-sand-gg-fabric-p-19936.html"><strong>coco chanel clothes</strong></a> ready to accept him as a possible negotiator between themselves and the Kremlin. "Let him prove that he has a mandate for these talks," said Mikhail Kasyanov, Russia's former prime minister. "We are ready to talk to him, but I don't see what role can he play," said former Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov . On Saturday, Sergei Parkhomenko, one the rally's organizers, said he doesn't see Mr. Kudrin as a negotiator, but added that "it's very important that he came." Police estimated the crowd at Saturday's rally in Moscow, the largest in almost two decades and which was accompanied other demonstrations across Russia, at 29,000, while organizers put the total at 120,000. The protesters, chanting "Russia will be free" and "Russia without Putin," demand an annulment of the parliamentary elections, which they see as fraudulent, changes to the election law, an end to censorship of state-controlled media and wider democratic overhauls. The gathering of tens of thousands of people despite below-freezing temperatures is a sign that the Kremlin's efforts to calm the public discontent with the promise of overhauls weren't working. The vast cordoned-off area was full with people holding flags of opposition parties, and tongue-in-cheek anti-Putin signs. One of them showed a reproduction of Edward Munch's "The Scream" and read " Putin? Not again." Some protesters sported white ribbons and white badges, which have become the symbol of the movement. Maria Kurganskaya, 36, wore a mask that said "My vote has been stolen." She said she was an observer at the parliamentary elections and "personally saw how 600 votes were fraudulently given to the United Russia party." Volunteers distributed hot tea and cookies, and the atmosphere resembled more of a street party than a revolution. "It's not at all a revolution," Mr. Parkhomenko said when asked whether the current protests are an imitation of the Arab spring. "We have them too many in Russia; we want a peaceful transition of power". The <a href="http://www.womenfashionbag.com/new-coach-carryall-bag-black-model-10079450-p-19515.html"><strong>bus coach</strong></a> stage was given to all sorts of critics of the current regime—from popular writers and musicians to longtime political activists and right-wing nationalists. "In the newly formed opposition, there are a lot of outstanding personalities, but I don't see any of them as an opposition leader just yet. They need to unite instead of hogging the covers the way they normally do." said Elena Kovalevich, a 53-year-old homemaker. So far, the Kremlin has shown no signs of yielding to the opposition's main demands—or Mr. Kudrin's suggestions of making the current parliament transitional, changing election laws and practices, postponing the presidential elections and rerunning the parliamentary ones in 2012. &mdash;Olga Razumovskaya and Gregory L. White contributed to this article. Write to Alexander Kolyandr at Alexander.Kolyandr@dowjones.com

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