"Conversion of Russia" Update:

Putin Makes Himself Dictator of Russia

by Christopher A. Ferrara

        Well, it’s official. On Sunday, December 12, 2004 Fox News reported that President Vladimir Putin signed a bill Sunday to end the election of governors by popular vote …" As he did so, "more than 1,000 opposition activists converged on Constitution Day to denounce what they called his increasingly authoritarian rule."

        The legislation had passed the Russian parliament by the hotly-contested vote of 145-to-1. (No doubt the lone dissenter was ordered to provide token opposition.)

        As Fox reports "The new law gives the president the right to appoint governors, who would then be confirmed by regional legislatures…." And what happens if the regional legislatures refuse to confirm Putin’s appointments? "Under the law, if lawmakers reject the president's candidate twice, he could make a new nomination, appoint an acting governor or dissolve the legislature. If a candidate is rejected for the third time, the president can dissolve the legislature …" In other words, Putin’s appointment of all of Russia’s governors will be unchallengeable.

        Soon to become law is another proposal which would "end the direct election of national lawmakers, [which] is also expected to receive swift parliamentary approval." In other words, very soon the Russian people will no longer elect any of their rulers. Vladimir Putin is now the sole and unchallenged dictator of Russia.

        At the moment there are still some signs of resistance. As Fox reports "1,000 activists, politicians and prominent Kremlin critics gathered at the opening of the All-Russian Civil Congress for Democracy and Against Dictatorship…." Rights activist Lyudmila Alexeyeva said that "we have been united by one common concern — the authorities' outright encroachment on our rights … If we don't show solidarity in defending our rights, we will lose every single one of them …"

        Next up, no doubt, is Putin’s plan to extend his "term" as "President" indefinitely, despite the Russian Constitution’s limitation of two four year terms. While Putin said the "Kremlin has no plans to alter the Constitution," about the only people who might be inclined to believe that are Father Fox and his fellow Fatima revisionists, who profess to see in Russia today a "miracle" of conversion.

        And when the last signs of Russian "democracy" are snuffed out and the Catholic Church in Russia finds itself no better off than it was under Stalin, what will Father Fox and company do then? They will do what they have been doing for the past 20 years: deny reality. Meanwhile, for those interested in maintaining contact with reality, Fatima.org is at your service.