Election rallies rolled across Russia on Thursday, falling on the country’s annual Day of the Defenders of the Fatherland, which is marked on February 23rd .  Moscow saw the most crowded gatherings. Putin’s supporters gathered at the Luzhniki Stadium off the city center, and supporters of the Liberal Democratic Party leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky and Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov rallied in downtown Moscow. The Voice of Russia’s Roman Mamonov reports.

With only 10 days to go before the presidential elections in Russia, candidates for presidency have been making their best to win over votes. On Thursday, which was Russia’s annual Day of the Defenders of the Fatherland, each of the candidates mentioned this occasion in their speeches.

Supporters of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin marched along one of the embankments before gathering at the Luzhniki Stadium. According to official reports, more than 130,000 people attended the pro-Putin rally. Putin arrived at the stadium in person to express his thanks to people who came to support his election bid.

"I can see thousands of people who came to support me braving nasty weather. I can see people of different age groups, nationalities and religions. We’re gathered on Defenders of the Fatherland Day because we are defenders of our Fatherland. We’ve come to say that we love Russia. Millions throughout Russia share our views. Together, we’re ready to work for the good of our Motherland and to defend it."

Just as he said during his meeting with military commanders the day before, Vladimir Putin told the rally that he would not allow interference in the country’s affairs. He compared the current election campaign to the defense of Moscow against Napoleon in 1812.

"We will not allow anyone to interfere in our affairs, to force their will on us. We have our own will which has helped us at all times. We are a victor nation. It’s in our genes and it is passed from generation to generation. We will win. We have to win and we have to sort out a large number of problems. We need to eradicate a multitude of problems, such as injustice, bribery, rudeness of officials, poverty and inequality. I dream about a time when everyone in our country, big bosses and simple citizens, live in the right and honest way. It will make us stronger. I urge Russians not to look abroad, not to scuttle to the side, and not to betray their motherland. I urge Russians to stay together and work for the good of their country and their fellow citizens. I urge Russians to love Russia with all their hearts. This year marks the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Borodino. The battle for Russia goes on. We will be victorious."

People arrived from all corners of the country to attend the pro-Putin rally. The organizers say that they are ready to pay a fine for exceeding the number of participants allowed by the law.

Rallies in support of other presidential candidates were less crowded. The Liberal Democrats led by Vladimir Zhirinovsky gathered a mere 1,500 people in Pushkin Square in the center of Moscow.

Supporters of the Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov gathered near the Bolshoi Theatre, not far from the Kremlin. About 2,000 attended the Communist rally, police reports say. Both Zhirinovsky and Zyuganov criticized the government’s economic and social policies.

 A group of conservatives headed by political analyst Sergei Kurginyan held a separate rally near the All-Russian Exhibition Center. Kurginyan’s supporters were rallying against the so-called ‘orange threat’, or the attempts to import democracy into Russia.

http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_02_23/66737309/

BRICS member-states are preparing a world banking revolution. They are planning to nominate an alternative candidate for the post of the Chairman of the World Bank for the first time in history. BRICS also demands redistribution of quotas in the International Monetary Fund in the near future and intends to study India’s initiative on creating a South-South Bank. 

Representatives of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa proposed a reform of the world financial system at their meeting in Mexico City which took place during the conference of G20 finance ministers and heads of central banks.

BRICS financiers are annoyed with the private rule that the head of the World Bank is always a representative of the US. They believe that candidates should be assessed based on their merits and not citizenship.  BRICS member-states are convinced that it is essential to create competition for the US candidate, either from a BRICS country or from Europe. It has been decided to prepare a declaration on a coordinated position on this subject in the next two weeks. Candidates for the post of the head of the World Bank should be determined by the 23rd of March.

On the 29th of March BRICS leaders are expected to launch the mechanism of coordinating opinions on India’s proposal to create a South-South Bank. It is to become a support institution for countries with developing markets. BRICS member-states will be playing the main role in it, according to the quotas of votes. In this context they will have to assume serious financial responsibilities. The project looks promising but needs detailed studying, President of the Russian Financial Corporation Andrey Nechayev says.

"There are a lot of unanswered questions at the moment. Who is going to provide capitals for this bank? Who will be able to get money from it? There may be a lot more of those who want to take a loan than those willing to give loans. The new institution meets the requirements of world development. BRICS member-states need investments and not only cash but new technologies, methods of corporate management and innovations. At present it is not quite clear how this bank, if it ever opens, will help to solve this problem.”

In any case, India’s initiative on creating a South-South Bank is an attempt by BRICS member-states to offer their mite to the establishment of a new world financial system. They are planning to take a place in it according to their global weight. The rate of the Brazilian, Russian, Indian, Chinese and South African growing economies in world production exceeds 21% and these countries’ currency reserves exceed $4trln.

The latter fact gives these countries grounds to dispute the financial tradition set by the west. BRICS member-states intend to upgrade their role in the IMF. They are ready to discuss the strengthening of the Fund’s resource base, in particular, for helping the EU to get out of the debt crisis. At the same time, they demand redistribution of the Fund’s quotas, which means both the realignment of world financial flows and the rearrangement of votes when the IMF makes decisions. At present, almost half of the votes belong to the EU and the US, while BRICS member-states have about 10%. In 2010 BRICS raised its quota a little but its potential is still underrated. The West will keep trying to hamper the IMF reform, so as to prevent countries with growing markets from strengthening their positions. Meanwhile, the need for replenishing the IMF resource base will apparently make the management of the Fund respond to the BRICS initiative.

Russian cosmonauts on board the International Space Station (ISS) will vote via a dedicated communication channel linking the ISS with Mission Control.

In a video linkup with a specially assigned confidant, slated for Sunday afternoon, Anton Shkaplerov, Anatoly Ivanishin and Oleg Kononenko will tell him the names of the residential candidates they vote for.

(RIAN)