Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has accused “certain forces” of trying to delegitimize elections in Russia, days after the largest protests against his rule.
Tens of thousands of people rallied in Moscow and other Russian cities on Saturday in a show of anger over alleged vote fraud in favor of Putin’s United Russia party at recent parliamentary polls. Protesters - including opposition figureheads, scholars and celebrities - also called for Putin’s ouster.
“In this kind of situation, there are always attempts to delegitimize, devalue all that is happening in the public sphere, including the elections,” Putin said during a meeting with supporters on Tuesday.
Addressing the meeting of the All-Russia People’s Front, an obscure coalition group he launched in May, Putin said “certain forces” behind the protests had “no goal, program or leaders.” He earlier described them as paid agents of the West.
Further demonstrations are planned for after the long New Year’s holiday.
Putin, known for his neglect of the internet, also urged a “web discussion” ahead of the March presidential election, which he is still widely expected to win despite a sharp drop in support. On Monday, Putin called for more state involvement in television broadcasts and the internet.
He earlier proposed installing web cameras at all of Russia’s polling stations to prevent fraud, a plan dismissed by bloggers and activists who claim it would not stop ballot box stuffing.
