I was thinking about where to find a video encouraging people to come to the march for political turnover, but it’s hard to imagine anything better than these 28 seconds.
United Russia governor Leonid Markelov has already been serving as governor for 15 years. On September 13, he is running for re-election yet again. Here is his campaign poster:
In other words, he wants to spend 19 years as governor, and United Russia is backing him in that.
And the day before yesterday, Markelov came to open a rural feldsher-midwife station (a basic village medical clinic) in one of the villages in his republic. He did not like the fact that the residents were not greeting him enthusiastically enough. They were not thanking him, they were grumbling, and they were turning their backs on him.
What should a sane, decent governor do? Talk about his work, speak more convincingly, make better jokes, try harder to win people over, and, if nothing else, hand out more promises.
What does a United Russia governor do? He announces that since the people are not celebrating enthusiastically enough, he will just shut the clinic back down and even dig up the road, then storms off the stage in irritation.
What could better illustrate the complete degradation of government in the absence of real elections?
What more arguments do we need before we take to the streets to demand political turnover?
On September 20 in Moscow, we are taking to the streets against governors and presidents like these.
And I urge everyone to spread this video as widely as possible. Elections are coming up this weekend, and it needs to be shown to anyone still wondering whether it is possible to vote for United Russia.