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Political model exhausted itself - Medvedev

We have to begin the process (of political transformations) ourselves… But we shall not begin it under pressure (of protest rallies),” the president said

GORKI, December 17 (Itar-Tass) —— Russian President Dmitry Medvedev believes the existing political model in the country has exhausted itself.

“It is clear there will be a new stage in the development of the political system,” he told a meeting with United Russia Party activists on Saturday.

The president said the political reform was not prompted by mass protests rallies that followed the parliamentary election. “It began because the old model that served our country with good faith and fidelity in the past years has exhausted itself. The model has to be changed and only in that case our country will dynamically develop,” the president said.

“We are neither deaf nor blind. We have to begin the process (of political transformations) ourselves… But we shall not begin it under pressure (of protest rallies). That will never happen,” the president said.

He described the latest mass protests as a manifestation of democracy and admitted rallies will continue. “The main thing is that everything remains in the lawful field. We all have to learn political culture, including people who protest and who will continue to come out and protest as it is life,” the president said.

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