NEWSLINK: Corruption scandals dominate Russian headlines; Allegations have involved Russia’s defense and agriculture ministries and even the space program. Some wonder whether the regime is cracking down or fracturing

[Corruption scandals dominate Russian headlines; Allegations have involved Russia’s defense and agriculture ministries and even the space program. Some wonder whether the regime is cracking down or fracturing. – Los Angeles Times – Sergei L. Loiko – Dec. 3, 2012 – http://articles.latimes.com/2012/dec/02/world/la-fg-russia-corruption-20121203]

The Los Angeles Times covers recently exposed corruption scandals in Russia:

… the news in Russia lately has been dominated by one high-profile corruption scandal after another. Allegations of wrongdoing have reached high into the defense and agriculture ministries and the Russian space program, among other institutions. Nearly nine in 10 Russians say corruption is the nation’s biggest problem.

The spate of corruption cases has led to a cynical argument among politicians, analysts and people on the street: Has President Vladimir Putin, who has long talked about combating corruption, finally turned from words to deeds? Or is the apparent crackdown a mere public relations gambit or, worse, a sign of behind-the-scenes warfare among powerful interests close to the Kremlin?

Public opionion indicates a distrust of police and courts, with Russia also receiving a low ranking globally:

Recent polls conducted by Levada polling agency show that less than one-third of the people trust Russian law enforcement and only about 20% trust Russian courts. Eighty-eight percent consider corruption to be the country’s main problem.

Transparency International, which conducts annual surveys of international corruption, ranked Russia 143rd out of 183 nations on its most recent Corruption Perceptions Index.

The Los Angeles then goes on to detail some recent high profile corruption scandals, before noting questions about whether the fact the scandals are breaking indicates fracturing of the Putin-led elite:

Andrei Piontkovsky, a political analyst and a member of the opposition Coordinating Council, said he believes the current chain of arrests in corruption cases is happening against Putin’s will and testifies to his increasing weakness.

“The clans close to the Kremlin are sensing that Putin is getting weaker as a leader and they are now going for each other’s throat,” Piontkovsky said in an interview. “Putin certainly didn’t want to sack Serdyukov but was pressed to do so by a flood of revelations he suddenly couldn’t control.”

Click here for full article: http://articles.latimes.com/2012/dec/02/world/la-fg-russia-corruption-20121203