Political agenda of non-systems opposition is exhausted - political scientists
MOSCOW. June 13 (Interfax) - According to political scientists' estimations, the non-systems opposition that organized protests is going through a crisis and its political agenda is exhausted.
"Energy is leaving the protests organized by the opposition. That's the main issue. It's not about the meaning and number [of participants], it's about their long-term goals," Alexander Chesnakov, deputy secretary of the United Russia general council and head of the scientific council of the Political Situation Center, told a press conference at the Interfax central office on Wednesday.
"Of course, we can talk a lot about the need for Putin's resignation, but it is obvious that serious resources - [personnel, physical, and intellectual] - are needed to achieve this goal. These resources have not been presented yet," he said.
Chesnakov said leading radical opposition activists have in effect declared their inability to develop a political agenda.
Sergei Markov, pro-rector of the Plekhanov Russian Economics University, who also took part in the press conference, sad he believes the current level of non-system opposition activists will remain until the 2013 voting day.
"Many people are going on vacation now and nothing will be happening. It seems to me this level of public activity will remain for about a year, until the beginning of the next regional election campaign. The authorities have a card blanche for a year," he said.
At the same time, according to Markov's estimations, "mass protests will seriously increase, approximately in summer-fall 2013," if no changes take place in the coming year.
The expert believes there is currently a public demand for active actions. "The majority of the population now wants action. The demand to Vladimir Putin is not to become Putin 2, but to turn from Putin 2 to Putin 1, i.e., to go back to the political style of his first presidential term," Markov said.