A Beast of Baku waiting for the end of Putin

The former 'Beast of Baku' wants now to bring down the Russian President next March, when Russia will hold its presidential elections. Drugaya Rossiya (Other Russia) is her political platform, an umbrella group of liberals, neo-Bolsheviks, and just about anyone else against Vladimir Putin. Kasparov is forty-four. He was the world chess champion for fifteen years. He was king of the 64 squares. Can he be a new tsar?

The Observer issued a short profile about him:

Born Garry Weinstein in 1963 in Baku, in the then Soviet state of Azerbaijan, Kasparov had a Jewish father and an Armenian mother. His father died when he was seven and his mother, Klara Kasparova, became and remains his inspiration and most loyal fan. She and former world champion Mikhail Botvinnik guided the prodigy to greatness. But despite establishing himself as the finest player in history, the half-Armenian, half-Jew was always going to struggle to endear himself to nationalist-minded Russians. He changed his name to avoid problems of anti-semitism in Soviet chess.

He is under risk now. As a precaution, Kasparov spends thousands of rubbles a month on security. He never eats in unfamiliar places and avoids flying with the state airline, Aeroflot.

Kasparov explained to The NewYorker why Mikhail Kasyanov, who had served for four years as Prime Minister under Putin and was now angling to run as the opposition’s Presidential candidate, would skip the Other Russia conference. Kasparov, unlike Kasyanov, believes that the opposition can challenge the Kremlin only after it grows, from the bottom up; his argument, which prevailed, was that the Other Russia had to hold extensive Presidential primaries in the Russian provinces, with numerous debates and public meetings, before choosing its nominee in October. “What’s the point otherwise?” Kasparov said. “The only chance to capture people’s attention and get the crowds to come, to get engaged, is by demonstrating that we act democratically.”

Although Kasparov’s popularity ratings are higher than Kasyanov’s, they are both marginal in the Land of Putin. Even if Kasparov decides to run (and he probably will), the government would not likely register his candidacy, and, even if it did, he could not win. The point is to create an alternative, not to be deluded into thinking there is an open election that can be won. Besides, Kasparov is half Armenian, half Jewish—not exactly an ideal ethnic mix for a politician in a country with deep currents of anti-Caucasian and anti-Semitic feeling.

But also the problem for Kasparov is that his liberal agenda of transparent democracy, freedom of speech and civil rights is not one that sets the great melancholy heart of Russia beating with pride. In the minds of many Russians, liberal democracy is strongly associated with the corruption of the Yeltsin years.

"All the polls show that no more than 1% or 2% of Russians would vote for the Other Russia coalition," said Valery Fyodorov from Russian Public Opinion Research.

He took part on a debate at El Mundo, a spanish newspaper, some days ago. There he said "Chess has got rules, but in Russia is the Kremlin who creates them".

Kasparov’s popularity ratings are higher than Kasyanov’s, but they are both marginal in the Land of Putin. Everyone thinks that Putin will select his successor, much as his predecessor, Boris Yeltsin, designated him—unless he forgoes his promise to stand down and changes the constitution to allow a third term. Although a great many Russians would not object if he were to declare himself, Mobutu style, President for Life, it seems increasingly unlikely that he will stay.

While that, opposition finds it dificult to unite.