http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011

Mikhail Gorbachev lambasts Vladimir Putin's 'sham' democracy Former Soviet leader launches harshest criticism yet of Russia's ruling regime ahead of 80th-birthday celebrations * News * World news * Vladimir Putin Mikhail Gorbachev lambasts Vladimir Putin's 'sham' democracy Former Soviet leader launches harshest criticism yet of Russia's ruling regime ahead of 80th-birthday celebrations * o o o reddit this * Miriam Elder in Moscow * guardian.co.uk, Monday 21 February 2011 18.56 GMT * Article history Mikhail Gorbachev Mikhail Gorbachev accuses Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin of arrogance over their plan to jointly decide who should run in next year's presidential elections. Photograph: Andrey Smirnov/AFP/Getty Images Russia under prime minister Vladimir Putin is a sham democracy, Mikhail Gorbachev has said in his harshest criticism yet of the ruling regime. "We have everything – a parliament, courts, a president, a prime minister and so on. But it's more of an imitation," the last president of the Soviet Union said. Gorbachev, who oversaw the softening of the communist system and subsequent dissolution of the Soviet Union, has become increasingly critical of the modern Russian state, accusing its leaders of rolling back the democratic reforms of the 1990s. Speaking at a press conference ahead of his 80th birthday, Gorbachev criticised Putin for manipulating elections. In response to the prime minister and former president's comments that he and his protégé, President Dmitry Medvedev, would decide between them who would run for office in March 2012, Gorbachev said: "It's not Putin's business. It must be decided by the nation in elections." He called Putin's statements a sign of "incredible conceit". Asked how he thought the regime approached human rights, Gorbachev said: "There's a problem there. It's a sign of the state of our democracy." He was echoing statements made by Navi Pillay, the UN high commissioner for human rights, during a visit to Russia last week. Gorbachev said United Russia, the ruling party founded with the sole goal of supporting Putin's leadership, was a throwback. "United Russia reminds me of the worst copy of the Communist party," he said. "We have institutions but they don't work. We have laws but they must be enforced." Its stranglehold over political life would eventually backfire. "The monopoly ends in rotting and hampers the development of democratic processes." Gobachev said he did not like how Putin and Medvedev were behaving. "It's a shame that our modern leaders aren't very modern," he said. Gorbachev now runs a charity foundation that will hold a gala at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 30 March to mark his birthday. He co-owns the country's leading opposition newspaper, Novaya Gazeta. Held up in the west as a hero for his softening of the Soviet system and eventual acceptance of its fall, Gorbachev remains widely despised inside Russia, where he is seen as a traitor who allowed the empire to crumble and ushered in a period of great uncertainty. Over the years he has aligned himself with the cause of Russia's sidelined liberals. On Monday, Gorbachev called the regime's campaign against jailed oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky politically motivated. "Politics shouldn't have been involved in [the case], but they were," he said. He noted the case of Natalya Vasilieva, a court clerk who worked on the Khodorkovsky trial and broke ranks to publicly announce that the judge had been pressured throughout and had a verdict and sentence pushed on him. "I fully believe her," Gorbachev said. "People can't stand it anymore – she saw what was happening with her own eyes." • This article was amended on 22 February 2011 to restore missing text in the third paragraph. * Print thisPrintable version * Send to a friend * Share * Clip * Contact us * larger | smaller World news * Vladimir Putin · * Russia · * Europe · * Dmitry Medvedev · * Mikhail Gorbachev More news * More on this story * putin and medvedev Medvedev wants to stay on as Russian president, says leading MP Medvedev set to defy pact with prime minister Vladimir Putin and seek second term, claims prominent politician * Vladimir Putin pledges to spend £32bn on increasing Russian life expectancy * Medvedev guards splash out on £6,500 bathtub * Dmitry Medvedev unveils monument to former Russian president Boris Yeltsin Buy Mafia State mafia state 1. • Buy Mafia State from the Guardian Bookshop and save £7 # • Buy the ebook See also * 27 Oct 2010 Russia's Afghan agenda * 27 Oct 2010 Mikhail Gorbachev says Russia is moving 'away from democracy' * 2 Mar 2011 Mikhail Gorbachev awarded top honour on 80th birthday * 17 Aug 2011 Mikhail Gorbachev: I was too soft on Yeltsin * Print thisPrintable version * Send to a friend * Share * Clip * Contact us * Article history Ads by Google * Expatriate Savings Advice £25k-£1m Or £250+ Regular Savings? Find The Best Interest Rates Today! www.OffshoreInvestmentDesigner.com * Is Jesus Really God? Scholars Examine the Facts About Jesus' Claims to be God Y-Jesus.com * Visa Application forms Apply for Immigration To Australia Online Visa Eligibility Assessment. Immigration.Australia.Online.Service.migr... * License/buy our content * | Privacy policy * | Terms & conditions * | Advertising guide * | Accessibility * | A-Z index * | Inside the Guardian blog * | About us * | Work for us * | Join our dating site today * © 2011 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved.