| Khodorkovsky's arrest means that the country's political course is changing The demonstrative hijacking of a plane and the arrest of Mikhail Khodorkovsky last Saturday have already been compared to the operation “Face into the Snow,” when several years ago the head of the presidential guard, Alexander Korzhakov, decided to show who was boss and put the people of the too influential and politically active Vladimir Gusinsky face to face Moscow snowdrifts. The comparison, however, is lame: the operation nine years ago turned out to be just an episode in the struggle to shape Boris Yeltsin’s course and did not lead to a change in the political landscape in Russia. The current situation looks much more serious.
The arrest of Khodorkovsky, one of the few truly iconic figures of Russian business, means that the authorities have decided to cross the Rubicon in relations with both business and society. The point is not about the charges brought against the richest man in the country, since, if desired, they can easily be brought against others who are less rich. It's not even a matter of accusations that are not officially brought: the excessive political ambitions of the oil tycoon. The problem is different - from now on the authorities are not going to negotiate with anyone, and even if we are talking about the largest and most influential figures, they will simply be removed from the board by force.
It is the forceful method of resolving conflict situations that is now presented to society as natural and justified. And the complaints of well-known Russian lawyers about the actions of the Prosecutor General’s Office are unnecessary here: the point is not in the prosecutors, but in the chosen approach.
However, justifications for this approach and references to popular dislike for the rich are not convincing. The most valuable layer of economically and politically active citizens for the country will most likely perceive this turn of events as a change in milestones sanctioned by the president. And against this background, it is not so important how the ruble exchange rate, stock index and capital flows will behave in the coming weeks, since we are no longer talking about weeks, but about years.
The events that happened over the weekend, of course, could not yet cause an acute and widespread reaction. Although the largest business associations in Russia have already made an extremely harsh statement, claiming that “gross mistakes by the authorities have thrown the country back several years.” Actually, the reaction of society is the only thing that can turn these events into the same episode as the “face into the snow” action became, preventing the development of a new political course that has begun to take shape.
Statement
The escalation of actions by authorities and law enforcement agencies towards Russian business has recently sharply worsened the atmosphere in society. Business trust in the authorities has been undermined and, in fact, their dialogue has been interrupted. Those businessmen who agree to publicly disclose information about their companies and transparently pay taxes fall under the millstone of law enforcement agencies. Today, Russian business does not trust the current law enforcement system and its leaders. Thousands of medium and small enterprises suffer every day from their arbitrariness. Companies are forced to reconsider their investment strategies, abandoning projects that are significant for the country. Gross mistakes by the authorities set the country back several years and undermined the credibility of its statements about the inadmissibility of revising the results of privatization.
The significance of these events for the fate of the country is such that Russian business calls on existing political parties and public organizations to openly express their attitude to the problems raised.
Only the clear and unambiguous position of the President of the Russian Federation V.V. can turn the situation around. Putin.
Its absence will make irreversible the deterioration of the economic climate and the transformation of Russia into a country unfavorable for business development.
October 25, 2003
Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (Employers)
What did the President do on Saturday, October 25?
Official version
President V. Putin congratulated the actress, People's Artist of the RSFSR, member of the Union of Cinematographers of Russia Tamara Semina on her anniversary.
President V. Putin congratulated Honored Master of Sports of the USSR, Honored Coach of the USSR, Olympic champion V.A. Happy 70th birthday to Kapitonov.
President V. Putin congratulated a prominent scientist in the field of theoretical electronics and energy, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences K.S. Happy 75th birthday to Demirchyan.
President V. Putin held a traditional meeting with the leadership of the government and the presidential administration, as well as the ministers of the security bloc.
The meeting was attended by Prime Minister M. Kasyanov, Head of the Presidential Administration A. Voloshin, Secretary of the Security Council V. Rushailo, Foreign Minister I. Ivanov, Defense Minister S. Ivanov and FSB Director N. Patrushev.
Various issues of domestic and foreign policy of the Russian state were discussed.
President V. Putin congratulated the famous playwright, screenwriter, publicist A.I. Happy 70th birthday to Gelman. Ivan GORDEEV |
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