Unlikely Agitator, an Insider, Speaks Out Against Electoral Fraud in Russia

By MICHAEL SCHWIRTZ
NYT

VLADIMIR, Russia — At first glance, Sergei N. Filippov seems an unlikely political provocateur.

A consummate insider, he is the chief executive of a regional affiliate of the government-owned energy giant, Gazprom, here in this ancient town. And he is an influential local member of Russia’s ruling party, United Russia.

But there he was at the latest session of the Vladimir Region legislature last week, disrupting scheduled debates on forest fire prevention and a transportation tax, to make an appeal to his fellow party members: acknowledge and repair the fraud that many people here believe United Russia committed in recent parliamentary elections.

“These violations must be documented,” said Mr. Filippov, who has worked in the regional government for about 15 years. “We cannot be silent about this. We will be doing a disservice if we fail to speak up today.”

(More here.)