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    Putin pledges to cut officials' traffic privileges

    MOSCOW (AP) — Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Tuesday pledged to cut traffic privileges for officials, who routinely bypass Moscow's notorious traffic jams by ignoring basic rules of the road and even driving into oncoming lanes.

    The privileges are a strong irritant for Muscovites, who have increasingly expressed their discontent with Putin's policies and widespread government corruption, endangering his chances of sweeping into a third term as president after March 4 election.

    Traffic in Moscow gets routinely stopped every day to clear the road for the speeding motorcades carrying Putin, President Dmitry Medvedev and even visiting foreign dignitaries. Roads can be closed for as long as an hour in the anticipation of the motorcade to flash past. Irritated Muscovites express their frustration with the passing officials by honking their horns.

    In a visible attempt to appease the growing discontent with Russian bureaucrats and bigwigs, Putin on Tuesday promised to make a "drastic cut" in the number of officials entitled to traffic privileges to "a few dozens," Russia news agencies reported. Putin was having a day off from his duties on Tuesday, meeting with his campaign representatives.

    There are currently nearly 890 officials in Moscow who keep blue flashing lights on their vehicles, allowing them to ignore traffic rules. The expected cut would not affect Putin himself, prime minister, parliament speakers and a few other top officials.

    As Moscow roads are getting busier, the blue flashing lights have become a metaphor for corrupt officials abusing their powers. Activists have over the recent years named and shamed scores of officials and top executives for using the privileges that they're not even entitled to.

    Road accidents involving cars with special privileges have caused public outrage in recent years. A deadly collision in Moscow's southwest in 2010 when a car of a top oil executive killed two female passengers in a car in an oncoming lane led to a boycott of the oil company's gas stations. The oil executive was cleared of charges, but activists insisted that he had jumped into the oncoming lane, crashing into the passing car.

    Meanwhile, Russia's outgoing president Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday warned of increased violence in North Caucasus ahead of the presidential vote.

    An Islamic insurgency has spread across that region since two separatists wars Russia fought in Chechnya. Medvedev said that insurgents could use the March vote to increase the pressure on Russian authorities, and asked officials at the country's spy agency FSB to be vigilant and prevent "insurgents' provocations."

    For the first time in years, Russians are challenging the control of Putin, who was previously president from 2000 to 2008 and has since been prime minister. On Saturday, as many as 120,000 people turned out for the third and perhaps largest mass demonstration since Putin's party won a parliamentary election Dec. 4 with the help of what appeared to be widespread fraud.

     

    3 comments

    • Yan  •  Haikou, China  •  3 mths ago
      if Putin wont be the next president in russia,the officials' traffic privileges is a little issue be reformed in the future,therefore russian should keep on stopping Putin's crazy ambition.
    • Serg  •  Chernihiv, Ukraine  •  3 mths ago
      One American politician said in order for people to believe in cheating, cheating should be grand. Dear Americans. We are Russian, 20 years great respect for your culture, watch your movies, we even took over your life. In Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union has opened a lot of American companies such as Apple, Microsoft, Google, Macdonalds, GeneralMotors and other companies.
      At the time of the Soviet Union until 1986 in the USSR there was no such thing as a homeless man (a man without a home and money), there was no unemployment, housing, people get FREE EVERYTHING, training in all the schools were free, the medicine was FREE! At the time of the Soviet Union people were very good - if a stranger on the street fell unconscious immediately came running to him people to help. We did not have prostitution and pornography, you might even erotic magazine to be found. People were very polite, and cultural. In the Soviet Union never made films MILITANTS. There is no country in the world that the USSR would be damaged or destroyed. The scientists of our country have been and remain very popular in the world. In the Soviet Union produced children's magazines about the invention and machinery, thanks to these magazines, many children from 6 years themselves were made radios and other electronics. In the USSR there was no chemical additives, all products are natural, quality is strictly enforced.
      Our policy in the Soviet Union, unfortunately, turned out to be cowardly and corrupt.
      Gorbachev, who was president of the country - has agreed to destroy the Soviet Union for 10 million dollars. This man wrote a book about who and what gave him the money for the destruction of the lives of millions of ordinary, same as you people. When Gorbachev began to popularize American way of life as LIFE WITH BIG SUCCESS prosperity and.
      Tell us in the U.S. is, at least something of what he could get a citizen of the USSR FREE? - Of course not.
      In the U.S. there are homeless people, beggars, the unemployed? - Of course there is.
      What countries helped AMERICA become more mature, successful? - No.
      How America countries have closed the crime? - No.
      How many countries bombed by the U.S.?
      How many innocent civilians, children and women killed by U.S. military?
      How many countries have won the U.S.? Now in the former USSR people live under the American - we have the homeless, poor, drug addicts, prostitution, drug trafficking, trade bodies, trade policy, trade jobs – We have sold EVERYTHING! - As in the United States.
      But what's the difference?:
      In our countries, any person without restriction may build a house.
      But we have the corrupt courts.
      U.S. courts probably the best in the world. If our country were your court, we would live much better than in the U.S..
      We have low wages because after Gorbachev had sold the Soviet Union - the ruble plummeted. People who have accumulated over a lifetime tens of thousands of rubles (at that time the ruble and the dollar was trading on the exchange rate of 1:1) were homeless. But Gorbachev has done a great service for the U.S. and Gorbachev made a fortune.
      Who won Nazi Germany? - Russia.
      What did America during the 2nd World War - "Nothing - in fact" - Do not believe his books and films.
    • Serg  •  Chernihiv, Ukraine  •  3 mths ago
      Today, Putin - the only intelligent President in the whole of Europe and Asia, and especially the United States.
      All U.S. presidential candidates know the maximum of one language - English. Do you know how many languages are spoken by Putin?
      U.S. policy and U.S. presidents do not even know the geography and the fact there is evidence - public interview.
      U.S. politicians and presidents believe their security services. Security Service of the U.S. cheat all the politicians. Because conflicts and wars around the world benefit American factories that produce weapons. The factories producing weapons, pay the army and security services the money to those that create conflicts of nutria at home and abroad. It's just business.
      American politicians are trying to make their country the people were stupid and not educated.
      In the former Soviet Union and Russia are able to read and write. In the U.S., everyone can read and write?
      Do you know where is Ukraine? Uzbekistan? Kyrgyzstan? Tibet? Mongolia?

      The problem of our Russian is that we believe America and its way of life and is now drowning in these issues as well as the United States.
      What is socialism - it is the unit of the state where the first place put welfare of ordinary people.
      What is democracy - the freedom within the law and the laws they write those with more money.
      What is communism? - It is a system structure of the state in which there is no money but all work and all of everything.
      What is capitalism? - This unit of the State where the main thing to earn more money, but it does not mean that the money you have enough, and it does not mean that you'll be happy.
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