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Medvedev says 8 years in power not big term for political party

He believes that “it’s good” that there are big parties in Russia
Photo ITAR-TASS
Photo ITAR-TASS

GORKI, November 26 (Itar-Tass) — President Dmitry Medvedev said eight years in power is not a big term for a political party.

“United Russia was formed as a political party in 2003. Today is 2011, and it’s not such a long term,” Medvedev said at a meeting with regional journalists on Saturday, November 26.

He admitted though that the question is how much United Russia corresponds to people’s understanding of how Russia should develop. “In my opinion, it does. But the final answer to this question will be given on December 4,” the president said.

He believes that “it’s good” that there are big parties in Russia. “Is it good that one party has a majority? It’s a matter of taste, you know. That’s good for carrying out a certain state policy, let me tell you frankly,” he said, adding that it is necessary to rely on the majority when adopting laws and recalled the 1990s when a large number of reforms were blocked.

Medvedev said a situation where people vote “out of despair” was bad. “I am convinced that we will create a system at the next elections or those after them that will probably be more like the systems existing in other countries. But as far as the current political life is concerned, I think it perfectly fits into the standards of European democracy,” the president said.