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A new novel has drawn attention to the depth of
corruption in Russian society. President Dmitry Medvedev has taken
steps to combat the problem, but his appeals for improvement are
falling flat.
It isn't often that a senior member of the innermost circle of power
writes an exposé novel in which he describes the demise of the very
system he created. Which explains why a book, written under a pseudonym
but widely assumed to be the work of one Vladislav Surkov, is causing
such a stir in Moscow. Surkov is the chief ideologue at the Kremlin or,
as retired KGB General Alexei Kondaurov describes his former associate,
a "genius of cynicism".
The novel, "Okolonolya" (Close to Zero), is being touted as "gangsta
fiction," but the political gangsters featured in its 112 pages are
very much real. The author paints a shocking picture of the Russian
capital, with its "trading in offices, medals and bonuses." It is a
place where government funds are siphoned off into the pockets of
wives, lovers and nieces. "Corruption and organized crime, next to
schools and the police, are the pillars of social order," explains an
intelligence service colleague of the protagonist.
There is probably no other European country - not Silvio Berlusconi's
Italy or post-communist Romania - where political offices and wealth
are so closely intertwined than in Russia. The affliction has "struck
deep roots in our country" and has "taken on particularly repugnant
forms," President Dmitry Medvedev said in a Spiegel interview in early November. Bribery and nepotism are pervasive in public life, from the health care
system to the courts. Last year, it put Russia in a tie with Kenya,
Bangladesh and Syria for 147th place on Transparency International's
Corruption Perceptions Index.
"From the political leadership all the way down to local
administrations, we are hampered by corruption" said Medvedev, adding
how accepted it has become among the Russian population. "In your
countries in Europe, drivers don't automatically pull out their wallets
when stopped by a traffic policeman," said the president. According to
Medvedev, the notion that bribery is a crime must become second nature
to citizens.
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