Interfax: Putin sure new parties will offer competition to “political old-timers”

MOSCOW. Dec 12 (Interfax) – Russian President Vladimir Putin is certain that new political parties that won local elections recently will offer stiff competition to the political old-timers.

“We are interested in seeing well-trained, purposeful, and professional people ready to responsibly perform their duties coming to government bodies through election mechanisms,” Putin said in an annual address to the Federal Assembly on Thursday.

“Therefore, we will continue to work on developing political competition, improving political institutions, and providing conditions for them to be open and efficient,” he said.

Recent elections have shown that the Russian political environment has seen “less officialdom, bureaucracy, and easily predictable results,” he said.

“I consider it important that a lot of new parties have made a name for themselves by winning seats in municipal and regional government bodies. They have laid a good basis for running in future federal elections, and I am sure, they will offer good competition to political old-timers,” he said.