Russia's Western Journey

Putin has won the Russian Presidential election in the first round of voting. It seems that having potential opponents in prison and banning some parties from putting up candidates had the desired effect, presumably because the majority would not have voted for the extreme parties anyway. It seems likely also that there were some irregularities in the way votes were cast and possibly counted but not in sufficient numbers to affect the outcome. Medvedev has now called for a review into the legality and basis of the convictions of Khodorkovsky, Lebedev and others regarded by some as political prisoners. It is difficult understand why Medvedev has decided to ask for this review now. I hope it is because Medvedev, who seems  a straight kind of guy and who I believe, unlike Putin, accepts that Russia should always support the rule of law, wants to do something in the last two months of his Presidency to demonstrate that Russia will right wrongs where they manifest themselves. There is considerable evidence to support the view that Khodorkovsky and Lebedev were found guilty for political reasons but it cannot be certain that that is so. If the review is held entirely in public and the evidence produced to it is also available for all to see and the result follows the evidence then whichever way the verdict goes all parties should welcome this as a further step on Russia's path to a respected place in the world. If this is not the point of Medvedv's intervention but is something more cynical then the 20 years or so on Russia's journey from a communist state to a respected member of the western world is going to take longer.