January 25, 2010 By Citizen M

RA’s Daily Russian News Blast – Jan 25, 2010

articleLarge.jpg

TODAY: Putin warns against reforms of political system; Medvedev defends election results; Yeltsin’s daughter taking on Putin in blogosphere?  North Caucasus job creation strategy; Tatarstan’s veteran leader to step down when mandate ends.  Protests against Popov death in custody; Whistleblower cop arrested; START apparently 95% complete; cinema battles; churches.

The political system must not wobble like runny jelly with every touch’: Vladimir Putin’s rationale for being cautious with reform.  At the State Council’s meeting the Prime Minister also managed to slam reform and Ukraine simultaneously, warning against the “‘Ukrainization’ of our political life”.  President Medvedev has, according to the Moscow Times, staunchly defended the October election results at the same meeting.  The Telegraph has an article on Boris Yeltsin’s daughter, Tatyana Yumasheva, whose Putin-critical blog is apparently provoking some commentators to wonder whether she plans to enter the fray in 2012.  ‘The bandits have been fended off ..  we won and returned the peace“: Putin tries to reassure the new Kremlin envoy to the the North Caucasus, Aleksandr Khloponin.  Apparently tackling unemployment and boosting the economy are the new envoy’s principal tasks.  After nearly 20 years at the helm, Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiyev has announced that he will not seek a return to office after his current term ends in March.