Kasparov’s charges

Thomson Financial News
Russia’s main economic problem is Putin -opposition
02.06.09, 12:15 PM EST
By James Kilner

MOSCOW, Feb 6 (Reuters) – Russian opposition leaders accused Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Friday of wasting billions of dollars in public funds and said he was Russia’s main obstacle to coping with the global financial crisis.

At a news briefing largely ignored by state media, two former deputy ministers and former world chess champion Garry Kasparov said the government had lied about the country’s economic problems and laid out their alternative strategy.

‘To begin with we need the resignation of Vladimir Putin’s government which in this crisis has already demonstrated its complete helplessness and ridiculous incompetence,’ the opposition movement Solidarity said in a statement.

Solidarity, an umbrella movement supported by anti-government liberals, includes former deputy prime minister Boris Nemtsov, former deputy energy minister Vladimir Milov and Kasparov, who hosted the briefing.

Last weekend Russia’s opposition held a series of anti-government marches across Russia, which attracted a few thousand people — mainly old communists and young radicals.

But the opposition expects a weakening economy to generate more support and undermine the government.

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