Moscow, Dec 2 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, in an address to the nation Friday, called on citizens to take part in the Dec 4 parliamentary elections and ‘make the right choice’.
‘People do many really kind, right and important things not because of necessity, but out of a sense of responsibility, their heart’s call and moral duty, because they understand that no one except us can make our lives better,’ Medvedev said.
‘Do the important and right thing — come to elect State Duma lawmakers and decide who will represent you in Russia’s supreme legislative body,’ he said.
The president urged Russians to make the ‘right choice’ and vote for those they believe will be able to ‘defend’ their interests, who ‘understands economics, has experience overcoming crisis situations, is able to protect our Fatherland and preserve it for our children’, and who ‘understands you well and tells you the truth’.
All of Russia’s seven registered political parties will take part in Sunday’s elections.
Medvedev leads the United Russia party, which has dominated the parliament and, according to opinion polls, is expected to win over 50 percent of the vote in the elections.
In his address, Medvedev said ‘direct and free elections’ were one of the ‘incontestable achievements’ of the past decades.
He said he believed the 2011 election campaign created ‘free and equal competition’ for all Russian political parties.
‘I hope you had an opportunity to evaluate not only the parties’ programmes, but also their concrete actions — for most of them have factions in the current Duma,’ he said.
Four out of the seven registered parties — United Russia, the Communist party, the LDPR, and A Just Russia — are currently represented in the State Duma.
The other three — Yabloko, the Right Cause and Patriots of Russia — are unlikely to pass the seven-percent threshold to make it to parliament, according to public polls.
‘I hope we will make Russia a genuinely modern and highly developed country where it is comfortable to live,’ Medvedev said.
