From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng  (Original Message)    Sent: 6/13/2005 12:35 AM
June, 13, 2005

Camponomy

Economy of fear - the new invention of president Putin

  The Author is the head of the third program of the Polish radio, the former correspondent of the Polish TV and magazine “Wprost” in Moscow

In fourteen years after the disintegration of the USSR the end to the more or less liberal transformations has come. Russian Quasi-liberalism is replaces with economy of fear. New Russia has received the first large political prisoner. The Federation becomes an evidently authoritative state. Symbols make the best influence on imagination of the society.

Condemned for nine years of camps Michael Hodorkovsky has become such a symbol. The symbol of lawlessness and oppression. President Putin autocratically makes decision on destinies and property of citizens. He divides and dominates with an iron hand. He gives to one people, and takes from others. Two chiefs of the oil concern YUKOS crushed by authorities, have already become history. Not as great managers, but as victims of the regime. In all Russian houses - from vile cells, in which the majority lives, up to palaces in cost of tens millions roubles - inhabitants ask one and the same question - who is next? It is simply interesting for the poor, the rich wait in uncertainty.

During the last fourteen years Russian gallantly and in a rather mass way climbed up to the top lines of the lists of the richest people of the world. Last year Russia had the third place (after the United States and Germany ) by number of dollar billionaires. It is not casual that Moscow reminds Las Vegas in some places. 23 billionaires live here. There are more of them only in New York - 31. Fantastic Hong Kong was removed to the third place; only 16 from among the richest people of the world live there. But the situation can change soon. Russians take out capitals and even more often settle abroad. Some of them because of necessity, others because of their own choice, many of them because of fear.

The Russian country houses of Tel Aviv

Two most known oligarchs of Yeltsin's period - Boris Berezovsky and Vladimir Gusinsky - do not come back to Russia, as they will find themselves in prison right after the arrival. The first one has found a refuge in London . The second one has been detained by Interpol already twice - in Greece and in Spain . The authorities of these states did not dare to extradite him to Moscow , however, Gusinsky preferred to leave for Israel just in case - the safest shelter for the hiding from the punishing hand of the Kremlin Russian businessmen. The prestigious regions of Tel Aviv teem with the people speaking the language of Pushkin and Dostoevsky. Three of them are Hodorkovsky's friends and shareholders of the YUKOS - Leonid Nevzlin, Michael Brudno and Vladimir Dubov. The first one is accused of organization of murder of unprofitable for the YUKOS people. The former employee of the security service of the concern Alexei Pitchugin is already condemned for 20 years of imprisonment for direct participation in these murders. It is difficult something to say anything about the fault of Nevzlin. His lawyers have no access to the materials of the investigation.

Londonograd

London becomes the new capital of the Russian business. In Moscow they already name it “Londonograd”. According to English agencies of the real estate, Russians bought up third of the apartments, country houses and palaces in cost more than ten millions dollars. The richest and the most known of them is Roman Abramovich, as the elected governor of Chukotka he uses parliamentary immunity. The Russian justice could have imprisoned Abramovich together with Hodorkovsky for many years without any problems, having condemned him for the similar crimes. Almost all Russian rich men made their fortune in the same way - buying for nothing privatized state property: deposits of minerals, factories, oil pipelines. Everybody used the so-called system of optimization of taxes, allowing concealing the real original level of incomes from fiscal service.

In turn to the camp

The fact that authoritative feeble efforts of the Kremlin have limits is consolatory for the richest men of Russia . The pie in cost of several billions named YUKOS should satisfy for some time the appetite of spongers of “Tsar Vladimir” and emotions of the president. However the temptation is huge and the means are ready and checked up. Victor Vekselberg (owning the fortune of more than 3,5 billion dollars), the co-owner of the holding “Alfa Group” can become the next after Hodorkovsky. In the Russian Office of the Public Prosecutor they work on the materials of a case identical to the case of YUKOS. It is a question of imaginary abusing during privatization of one of the largest Russian oil enterprises - the Tyumen Oil Company. Vekselberg was more cautious and more provident and, obviously, more artful, than Hodorkovsky. He sold his share holding to Englishmen and attached the TOC to the BP (British Petroleum). It would be difficult for Putin to take something from the world consortium, not risking undergoing the sharp economic and political criticism from the strongest states of the West.

Besides Vekselberg has never openly opposed Putin and cared of creation of the image of the national property defender. For example, he bought a collection of the known Faberge eggs for 90 million dollars, with triumph imported it into Russia and now organizes exhibitions in the country.

The owner of the concern “Interros” Vladimir Potanin is known for his faithful gestures in relation to president Putin. The businessman can lose almost 5 billion dollars. Not even the gilt handles on the doors of his houses speak about the size of his fortune. Potanin is the owner of the large combine “ Norilsk nickel”, one of the largest world manufacturers of this raw material. The ground has already once been unsteady under his feet. The Office of the Public Prosecutor demanded from him to return 140 million dollars, as he had not paid for the actions of a mine completely. The problem was hushed up. But the fear has remained. Oleg Deripaska, who is known basically for that he became an oligarch in the age of 26, is also in turn for dispossession. Also others can find themselves there as it is like at a stock exchange: it is necessary to analyze, it is impossible to foresee.

Russian billionaires received their property from the authority as a gift. The unwritten law since Yeltsin's times imposed two basic obligations on them: share and be loyal. Those, who have not executed them, live in exile or are in prison.

Hodorkovsky has made an even greater mistake, as he wished to enter the open political confrontation with Putin. In fact democracy consists in it. But not in Russia . The present owner of the Kremlin forms a system of the operated democracy, which, according to Nevzlin, should lead “to the structural absence of opposition”. In Moscow they speak, that Hodorkovsky will sit in prison as long, as Putin will stay at authority. It is not too optimistic prospect for the former oligarch. However, the constitution says, that in Russia it is possible to be the president for only two terms, however the law is possible to be improved. Adhering to the principles of democracy.

Vitold Lyaskovsky, "Wprost" (Poland)

13.06.05

http://chechenpress.co.uk/english/news/2005/06/13/07.shtml