Only a divided and politically immature opposition can think otherwise, and unfortunately that is what is on offer over the last ten days. Such discussions suggest that among the opposition there are people who live under the illusion that they can outplay the cheating regime and “even hit the jackpot and win. Such hopes were false on the face of it, Pastukhov says. The regime, as the house in this case, wasn’t going to allow that to happen.“Making a fetish out of electronic voting” or assuming that it is the reason for the defeat of this or that candidate in this circumstance is “ridiculous and pathetic at one and the same time,” the analyst says.
The Russian opposition should recognize that “there is no system against the house, not a smart one or a stupid one.” As the Putin regime has shown repeatedly over the last decade, it will do what it takes to achieve what it wants; and against such house rules, the opposition can’t expect to triumph by playing by the rules set by those committed to its destruction.
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