Nikolai Zlobin Op-Ed: Promises, Promises
In an opinion editorial for The Moscow Times, Nikolai Zlobin, director of Russian and Asian programs at the Institute for World Security in Washington, comments that President Dmitry Medvedev's promise to fight against corruption has gone unheeded.
Small-scale corruption and daily injustice on the part of government officials has become a way of life in Russia. Corruption has become so widespread that it is undermining both the state and the economy and is creating a deep distrust toward all authorities. All surveys, statistics and personal observations indicate that, during Medvedev's 18 months in office, corruption has actually increased.
Zlobin questions whether Medvedev will fulfil his new promise to modernize the country, or whether as with corruption, little will be achieved.