Russian Opposition Politician Ponomarev: Khodorkovsky Could Lead Russia To Democracy

October 31, 2012

In an interview with Financial Times Deutschland, State Duma deputy for ‘A Just Russia’, Ilya Ponomarev explains why he thinks Mikhail Khodorkovsky, despite of his imprisonment, would be the most appropriate figure to lead Russia to democracy.

Ponomarev argues that a transitional phase of about a year would be needed to organize free elections, develop a new constitution and a new election law, should Putin ever be expelled from his office.

According to Ponomarev, Khodorkovsky would be the most suitable person to undertake the role of a transition minister and organize these processes because “he is part of the current elite, but since he is imprisoned now he could also be a man of the compromise because the people who are now on the streets would listen to him”.

Read the full interview in German here