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Russia is like a police state: Kasparov
Russia's Garry Kasparov, 45, became the youngest ever World Chess Champion in 1985 at age 22. He held the official World Chess Federation (FIDE) world title until 1993 and was rated world No 1 almost continuously from 1986 until his retirement in 2005.
- By Himendra Mohan Kumar, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:40 May 25, 2008
- Post-retirement, Garry Kasparov began a career in politics and formed the United Civil Front movement.
- Image Credit: Abdul Rahman /Gulf News
Abu Dhabi: Russia's Garry Kasparov, 45, became the youngest ever World Chess Champion in 1985 at age 22. He held the official World Chess Federation (FIDE) world title until 1993 and was rated world No 1 almost continuously from 1986 until his retirement in 2005.
Post-retirement, Kasparov began a career in politics and formed the United Civil Front movement. He joined as a member of The Other Russia, a coalition opposing the administration of Vladimir Putin. Kasparov was a candidate for the 2008 presidential race, but later withdrew.
He is widely regarded in the West as a symbol of opposition to Putin. Kasparov is currently on a visit to Abu Dhabi to give a lecture. Gulf News interviewed him about the current political situation in Russia and his own future.
GULF NEWS: Why are you such a vocal critic of Vladimir Putin, in whose time Russia has seen such big reforms and unprecedented economic growth?
Garry Kasparov: Putin didn't create a sustainable economy. Our reforms in Russia never took off the ground because of the accumulation of wealth in the hands of a few that didn't benefit the overall majority of Russians.
I travelled across my country, I visited more than 30 regions and I understand that the gap between the rich and poor in Russia, now, it's really unprecedented for a civilised country. It probably could be compared only to some African countries.
The combined wealth of 100 richest Russians equals two annual budgets of the Russian Federation, but the majority of the Russians are very poor. Russia gets $1 billion (Dh3.67 billion) a day just from oil exports alone, given the $125-$135 per barrel oil price, but the domestic infrastructure is falling apart. The Russian money, unfortunately, is being invested overseas, not inside Russia. The infrastructure is collapsing... the social gap is growing, inflation in the country is huge, officially at 15 per cent, unofficially it may be 30 per cent.
The economic situation in the Russian regions is really terrible. People are under severe pressure from rising food prices and all-round inflation. And the state does very little, if anything, to improve it.
How do you defend yourself against the allegation that you have been propped up by the West to strike down everything that Putin does?
Look, I don't even have to defend myself. I have been playing under the flag of my country for 25 years and I don't have to defend myself against a bunch of criminals who took over my country. And, by the way, if you look at where the money goes from my country today, it's Putin and his gang which takes it outside of the country. For instance, the Russian Stabilisation Fund, which contains hundreds of billions of dollars, is kept outside of Russia, while my country is so hungry for investment. If I am given a chance to speak publicly on Russian television with other leaders of opposition, I don't think Putin and his cronies will last for more than two weeks because the people in Russia recognise that things are going wrong.
Do you fear for your life, given the fact that Putin has successfully crushed all opposition? His opponents have either been killed or are languishing in jails.
Everybody has fear. Yes, I am afraid, not only for myself, but also for my loved ones. It's not very convenient when you have to hire bodyguards to protect your own family. Not that it will save you from state-sponsored attacks, but it may protect you from hooligans and unprovoked activities that could be organised by Putin's cronies.
I have no choice. My telephones are tapped, my apartment is always watched, we are under scrutiny all the time. But, I have to share the same risk as thousands of our activists across the country.
In Russia, we are not fighting to win elections, we are fighting to have elections. Our country must restore its democratic freedom and get rid of the regime that's taking us in the wrong direction. We are trying to unify all the opposition - the Left, the Liberals, the Nationalists, based on our belief that a free and fair election is the only way to proceed in the right direction. As we speak, I am afraid some of our activists are being interrogated by the state's security service or are being harassed.
What's your impression of Dmitry Medvedev, the new president, with Putin as his prime minister?
Mr Medvedev was appointed through a total farce of an election. Voters were harassed and elections were rigged and they didn't even try to hide it this time. Russia is like a police state today. Mr Medvedev's legitimacy is not even under question, it just doesn't even exist. He owes it all to Putin. The economic situation in Russia, unlike eight years ago, is not improving, it's in fact deteriorating.
Eventually, in Russia, as elsewhere, a scapegoat would be needed and one of them will have to take the responsibility for a steady decline in the living standards. Putin then, might be in trouble because the Russian elite today needs Medvedev more than Putin because with so much money, they need to have proper access to the free world where money is kept and legitimising this money. Making it part of the world infrastructure is more important than Putin's iron-fisted Russia. Priorities of the Russian elite are changing... Medvedev's soft approach might be required more than Putin's bellicose statements. Within two years, this political system will undergo tremendous changes. This system is a classic example of oligarchy - and now, the system is too fragile to survive under the heavy pressure of the economy, politics and finances.
What's your vision for Russia?
I want my country to be strong, flourishing and free. But I think Russia is now in imminent danger. The survival of Putin's regime could mean the end of my country. So, that's why I have to do everything to defend my country. We are now trying to build the opposition from scratch. The coalition that we created contains elements from the entire political spectrum, based on our beliefs that every major issue is to be decided by the people and not by a chosen few. We are doing something which could take a long time - it might be slow, it might be frustrating, but you have to create an atmosphere that is different from these lawless jungles in Russia. Our supporters are increasing rapidly.
Do you have any plans to return to professional chess?
No. I had a great professional life. I am very proud of my 30 years in chess and 20 years at the top. But it's a great piece of history and let's treat it as it is.
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