Mikhail Gorbachev
Source: Time
By Mikhail Gorbachev was the president of the Soviet Union and is the author of The New Russia.
The rift between government and people can no longer be tolerated’
The present Russian regime need have no delusions that conservatism is a panacea for our problems, lulling themselves with the belief that for the sake of peace and quiet people will agree to put up with stagnation. They are wrong. I am increasingly convinced that all they are doing is playing for time, clinging to power for its own sake, clutching at the benefits a minority extract from the current state of affairs.
People are not blind and their patience is not limitless. They have demonstrated in protest on Bolotnaya Square and Sakharov Prospekt, demanding change. If there is none, the protests will not just be repeated but will become more radical. That is dangerous and must be avoided. Russia really does not need more turmoil, she needs change, change that opens the way to a genuine renewal of society and improvement in people’s lives.
Both the present government and Russian society face a historic choice. It is vital that both should understand that our country’s complex problems can be resolved only by means of democratic interaction between them. The rift between government and people can no longer be tolerated.
Categories: Europe, Europe and Australia, Russia, The Muslim Times