Yesterday Russia went through another one of its time-honored traditions of organized elections under sovereign democracy, and as may well be expected, United Russia swept 76 of 83 regions - helped no doubt by the strictly controlled lack of competition (unless you count the sanitized communist party's 13%).  Accusations of fraud were rife and likely pretty well founded, and, although this certainly not anything new, I am continually surprised by how many candidates were banned and blocked from competing.  It's just that we are so often told that opposition politicians like Nemtsov, Milov, and others are "so unpopular with average Russian voters," yet are blocked from candidacy.  Why not just let Milov lose if he's so unpopular? At any rate, this discussion of Russia's barely passable imitation of an electoral process deserves its own space (not even ...

TODAY: Lavrov keeps eagle eye on Georgia; Netanyahu's fears about Russian rogue scientists; Chubais takes the fall for hydropower plant disaster.  Litvinenko widow despairs over apparent British moves towards rapprochement.  Luzhkov-Baturina to take Nemtsov to court. UN report pessimistic on Russia's demographic decline; Ban Ki-moon voices approval for ecological care.According to the Moscow Times, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says that Russia will survey shipping in the Black Sea to monitor Georgian 'provocations' which are a 'serious concern'.  Jorg Himmelreich in the International Herald Tribune suggests that much analysis of last year's Georgia-Russia conflict has overlooked the crucial matter of President Bush's Georgia policy.  Spokesman Andrei Nesterenko says that he believes that the ratification of the Lisbon treaty would benefit ...

Ria-Novosti reports that first deputy prime minister Igor Shuvalov believes the path towards a customs union with Belarus and Kazakhstan is clear.  Bank of America Corp. has increased Russia's economic growth forecast for 2010 to 3.9% from 2.4%.  Citigroup Inc. estimates that Russia's economy will grow faster than previously estimated, according to Bloomberg.  Arabtec Holding has started foundation-test work on the Gazprom tower.  Sberbank may sell its stake in Opel to VEB, if a sale to GAZ Group falls through, Reuters reports.  President Medvedev has told German Chancellor Angela Merkel that he is willing to provide state guarantees for Opel investments in Russia, says Reuters.  A possible windfall for Avtovaz: the company may be assembling Nissan cars by 2012.  The Telegraph reports on tough times for the Lada.  The Times reports that Yelena ...

The European Investment Bank is apparently willing to finance the $11.24 billion Nabucco pipeline.  Belarus will pay $50 million of its $252 million debt to Gazprom for gas next month.  After the huge interest shown in Gazprom's eurobonds, it is apparently likely that other oil majors will follow suit with bond issues.  The government has sanctioned tax breaks for up to 15 years for oil fields on the Black Sea and the far eastern Sea of Okhotsk.  Mol has announced that it will 'do everything' to adhere to the requirements of the license of its Siberian oil venture with Russneft.  Ecuador has agreed on a deal to export crude oil to China in return for which the OPEC-member country will receive $1 billion advance payment.  Apparently Vedemosti has reported that tensions with China over the Cherkizovsky ...

Putin has warned beneficiaries of VEB's emergency loans not to get used to extending their loans.  Shalva Chigirinsky may not return to Russia after reportedly failing to show up for questioning regarding a tax evasion case.  The Guardian scrutinizes the beleaguered billionaire's claim that Yelena Baturina holds a 50% share in Sibir Energy.  China has apparently criticized Russia for the closure of Cherkizovsky Market due to contraband, saying that red tape has long prevented Chinese workers from being able do trade lawfully.  Former CEO of electronics chain Eldorado, Alexander Shifrin, has been put on an international wanted list for tax evasion.  Belgium's RHJ International is offering $389 million for a majority stake in Opel in a last minute attempt to beat Magna.  Joblessness figures and wage arrears actually fell last month to a six-month low ...

Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin has said that GDP will grow by at least 1% in 2010 and that 'export revenues will decline by $190 billion' in 2009.  Russia could sign an agreement with the IMF on acquiring bonds worth $10 billion in August-September.  Aeroflot is under fire for illegally increasing its ticket prices, and has been ordered to return the excess money earned to the state budget.  GAZ will receive $630 million in state guarantees, in an attempt to revive the suffering car manufacturer.  A new trade treaty has been agreed between Russia and Germany.  Yesterday Pepsi opened its eighth plant in Russia; the company has pledged to introduce new products and buy 65% more potatoes by 2013. Renaissance Credit has resumed lending to Russian consumers after a freeze of ten months, but will ...

Financial NewsJason Corcoran in Moscow 13 October 2008 Many holdings are up for saleOligarchs on opposing sides of the cash crisis are set to trigger a boom in merger and acquisition activity in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States.Cash-tight tycoons are being forced to sell holdings to meet pending margin calls while their rouble-wealthy counterparts are sizing up distressed assets affected by the liquidity crunch.Oligarch Oleg Deripaska had to sell a stake in Canadian auto parts maker Magna to meet a $1bn (€734m) margin call while Ukrainian billionaire Kostyantin Zhevago was forced to sell a large stake in Swiss-based ore miner Ferrexpo worth $180 in order to meet a margin call by JP Morgan.Analysts are predicting Deripaska, who has $28bn, may have to divest further holdings in his Basic Element investment vehicle to shore up his finances….

The falling price of oil contributed to further huge losses on the MICEX yesterday. Mid-size Bank Globex is under scrutiny for seeking to protect itself from severe losses by taking measures that, some argued, are against the law. Amid falling prices and an unusually big harvest, the agricultural sector needs more than $34 billion in order to survive the crisis. News of the crisis is still failing to hit Russia’s mainstream media, says this report. Aviation authorities have grounded a group of Russian airlines due to their debts. The financial crisis doesn’t seem to be having an effect on the art world. ‘Good art correctly priced will always make good prices,’ says the head of Sotheby’s in Russia. An Austrian property commissioner has reportedly blocked the sale of a luxury chalet to billionaire Yelena Baturina, on the grounds ...